Imprudence
by bluebunny28
Summary: Sequel to Propriety. Harry is in the midst of training to become a Healer and learning to control his core, when everything comes crashing down. The Dursley's trial turns into a mess, and someone he had finally forgotten decides they don't want to let Harry go. Drarry! Severitus!
1. Chapter 1

Imprudence: Chapter 1

 **Hello there my lovely readers! Look what I have started to post! A sequel! And so fast! I'll be honest the update** **schedule** **for this story might be a bit spotty. Normally I hold off posting a story until I've got a good head start in it, but that is not the case here,** **and** **this semester is already kicking my butt. :/ Just be sure to check in on Saturdays and keep** **your** **fingers crossed!**

 **If you haven't caught on** **this is the sequel to** **Propriety.** **It is a continuation of that story, so yes, read that story first. This is still slash and still non-graphic slash. Got a problem with that then skip along please.**

 **Warnings: Probably some violence. Some medical "gore" (i.e. blood and description of injuries or illness). Lots of angst! (you expect anything less;) )**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Applications and Shocking News**

"Shane! Come back here! I need that quill. Give it back." Draco laughed into his hand as he watched his Intended chase his cat around the room. The kitten was notorious for stealing quills and chewing the feathers to pieces. The small ball of fur also seemed to find it a fun game to rip the quills right out of their hands while they were trying to write.

The kitten ran right up to Draco, and the blond scooped him up. He easily repossessed the quill and held it out to a frantic Harry. The Gryffindor smiled.

"Thanks, Draco. I was in the middle of filling out my Healers Training application when this little demon stole the quill from me." Draco pet the kitten who was now purring up a storm.

"You're welcome. You know, I never asked. Why did you name him Shane?" Harry shrugged as he turned to walk back to his desk. Draco followed him.

"I was thinking of naming him Shade, but that just seemed…obvious or predictable, given his fur. So I just changed one of the letters until it sounded better." Draco blinked at his Intended a few times.

"I will never understand how your brain works. Anyway, how are the applications going? I've got it easy, since I'm going to be studying under Uncle Sev." Harry sighed and dropped his head into his hands.

"It's…going. I didn't think being a Healer would require me to write so many essays. I don't know how many ways I can write: I want to be a Healer because I'm done with seeing bloodshed and I've got a 'Saving-People-Thing.' But then I read it over again and it just sounds pretentious and….Grrrah! Maybe I shouldn't do this." Draco rolled his eyes.

Harry had been working on his applications since they had graduated from Hogwarts a month ago. Severus, Draco and both Malfoy parents knew Harry would get in easily, and not just because anyone would want the Boy-Who-Lived on their staff. He had a good heart and wanted to help people and had studied hard for the entrance exams. The essays really seemed to trip him up though. Harry hated talking about himself and found it especially hard writing essays trying to explain why St. Mungo's should accept him into their training programs. Draco's Intended moaned about giving up on the applications every other day.

"You know Uncle Sev is willing to go over them with you and edit, right? It'll be fine, Harry. You'll get in. Now finish the damn essay." Draco leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Harry's head and walked off to find his godfather. He had to talk with Severus about what project he wanted to work on for his Potions Mastery.

Draco wandered Professor Snape's quarters and unsurprisingly found the man in his private lab. The Slytherin set Shane down, knowing the kitten was not allowed inside of the potions lab. Draco was surprised at what he found. His godfather wasn't working on a potion as expected. The man was surrounded by papers and had a very stoney look on his face.

"Uncle Sev? Is everything alright?" Snape snapped his eyes up and after a moments consideration motioned Draco in and used his wand to close the door. Draco was growing more concerned by the minute. He walked over and took a seat next to the man. After a solid five minutes of tense silence, Severus finally let out a deep sigh.

"You recall how I said I wanted to bring charges against Harry's relatives, for kidnapping and child abuse?" Draco scowled at just the thought of those creatures and nodded.

"Yes. Though I remember you saying you wanted to get Harry's input and opinion before you pursued it." Snape pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed.

"I did and I was planning to…there has been a new development however. The case regarding Harry's kidnapping by the group from the Ministry can proceed without Harry's live testimony. He already gave his statement to the arresting Aurors and everyone involved saw it _and_ everyone involved confessed to what they had done." Draco remembered the Minister coming by the Manor to explain all of this to his Intended and godfather. Lucius and Draco had also been asked to give a statement.

"Yes, I remember. But what does this have to do with Harry's relatives?" Severus sifted through the papers and brought out a letter from Minister Shacklebolt.

"Apparently, during their confessions, they admitted that they left Harry with the Dursleys because they knew those monsters were hurting him. They had hoped the Dursleys' actions would stunt Harry's power and prevent him from becoming the next Dark Lord. The prosecutor brought into the case is a ladder-climber and is more interested in being in the papers than actually pursuing justice for justice's sake. He heard the confessions and went to _someone_ in the Ministry, not Shacklebolt, and then started talking to reporters. He is bringing charges down against the Dursleys for harm of a minor, amongst other things. Kingsley doesn't know how he's done it, and not only that, but they found out I have officially adopted Harry and are requiring me to testify." Draco was stunned….and angry.

"This…this is going to turn into a witch hunt, pardon my phrasing. You're going to get up there and the defense is going to try painting you as a neglectful guardian! They're…Harry is going to have to testify isn't he?" Draco lost what little color he had as Snape nodded again. Draco pursed his lips and tried to calm down. "When are you going to tell him," he asked quietly.

"The trial starts in a month. Kingsley was able to push it off, but that also means that Harry will be starting his Healer Training right around the beginning of the trial. I…I need to tell him soon." Draco nodded and then, looking at his distraught godfather, he straightened up.

"I'll tell him. You'll have to explain the details to him, but I'll get the initial shock out of the way." Severus shook his head.

"Draco, I'm his guardian…well, father now, I can't just foist this responsibility off on you." Draco stood.

"And I'm his Intended. I need to be able to start difficult conversations with him and learn how to be there for him in things like this. Let me do this." Severus hesitated for another few moments, before reluctantly conceding.

"Alright. But I'll be out there in fifteen minutes to help explain. I really wish this didn't have to happen." Draco nodded solemnly.

"Me too." Draco turned and walked out of the lab. He almost stepped on Shane who looked up at him and meowed indignantly. Draco pet the kitten in apology and went to find his Intended. Harry didn't look up as he entered.

"That's it. I think I'm just going to turn this in as is. I've been working on this for weeks now; I've got to just get it over with. My last problem is how should I sign the bottom: Harry Potter, Harry Snape, Harry Potter-Snape, vice versa? Severus and I never really talked about it. What do you think, Draco? Draco?" Harry finally looked up and furrowed his brows in concern.

"Draco? Are you alright?" The blond finally heard Harry calling him and winced as he realized he had already messed up. He had seen Harry sitting there, happy and unconcerned, and immediately a part of him fought against ruining his Intended's happiness. He had to tell Harry though or this would blindside him in the worst of ways.

"I think Potter-Snape would work. It wouldn't be hard to change it if you wanted to. Why don't you go ahead and send the application off." Draco didn't want Harry to do something when he found out that would destroy his work. Harry's training with Snape was paying off, but occasionally, Harry's emotions still caused his magic to lash out.

Harry looked skeptical but did as Draco suggested. As soon as the application was gone and out of harm's way, Draco took Harry's hand and pulled him over to the couch.

"Draco, you're freaking me out. What's wrong?" Harry had a terrible feeling broiling in his gut. This was like those dramas his Aunt Petunia would watch, where the girl would say they needed to talk and then dump the guy who was head over heels for her. It was like that, but a hundred times worse.

"Harry, you know that Uncle Sev was serious about bringing charges against your relatives, correct?" Harry straightened his back and furrowed his brow.

"Yeah, I figured he was serious. But he also said we'd talk about it and he would take my opinion into account." Harry was already getting worked up and Draco's own anxiety and anger weren't helping.

"He did and he would have. The problem is, someone else has decided to charge them first, someone with connections who wants to use the case to promote themselves." Harry's face lost all color. He felt like he was going to be sick. How could someone do that?

"How did they…how did they find out? How could they…I never told anyone but you and Severus and my friends! How!?" Harry's magic was starting to make things shake around them and that's when Severus decided to step in. He had been standing outside the room, to let Draco take charge but so he could step in as soon as required. Snape came and sat on the other side of Harry and started rubbing his back.

"Harry, you need to count. Come on, one, two, three…" They got all the way to forty-three before Harry calmed down enough to listen. Snape decided to take over the conversation from there.

"Harry, the person assigned to prosecute your kidnappers listened to their confessions. They admitted what your relatives were doing and he decided to press for charges. Because you are still considered a minor, you were not consulted and he…he went to the press saying he would be bringing charges against them. If the Ministry tries to stop him, there will be an uproar from the public and if he gets charged and convicted for obstructing justice or something all of his other cases would have to be re-tried." Harry pushed Draco's and Severus' hands off of himself and stood.

"This whole thing is going to turn into a circus. That man won't care what he's doing to me as long as he gets his name in the papers! This is going to turn into a damn spectacle!" Harry tried to slow his breathing and calm himself. He didn't want to lose control again. "Then the defense are going to try and pick apart my _torture_ piece by piece and it's just never going to end." Before Draco or Severus could do anything, a small meow captured Harry's attention.

Shane was sitting in front of him and looking up at Harry with his bright yellow eyes. The kitten meowed again and stepped forward onto Harry's foot. The young Gryffindor took a deep breath and let it out slowly, before bending down and picking up Shane. He cuddled the small creature to his chest and let the kitten's purrs calm him down. Eventually, Harry retook his seat between his guardian and Intended, still holding Shane close.

"Sorry. I just…I'm so tired of people deciding they can mess with my life because it will help them or advance their cause." Both men reached out to comfort Harry.

"We understand, Harry. You have a right to be upset and angry. We're sorry this has happened, but remember you've got a lot of people that care about you and will help you through this." Even as Severus said it, his floo flared to life and spat out Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom.

"'Mione? Neville? What are you two doing here?" Hermione observed the group in front of her and figured they must already know.

"Oh, Harry! I was at my internship when I heard from one of the other girls about what that prosecutor is doing. It's not right!" Neville nodded along with everything Hermione said.

"I was at the Ministry and finishing my teaching exam when I heard. I ran into Hermione on my way to the floo's. I…you do know about the trial right?" Harry sighed and dropped his head, causing Shane to wriggle in the awkward hold.

"Yes. Severus and Draco just told me. Has…has it hit the papers yet?" Neville scowled.

"I haven't seen an article yet, but I have no doubt they'll start up soon. I spotted Rita Skeeter's blonde head bobbing around the Ministry employees. I'm sorry, Mate, but it probably won't be pretty." The floo flared up behind Neville and Hermione, this time spitting out Ron Weasley. The red-head blinked at seeing his girlfriend and other friend already there.

"I take it you guys are here for the same reason I am." Hermione nodded.

"Yes. How did you find out?" Ron held up a newspaper, with Harry's face on the front cover.

"This was the special edition that just got dropped off at home. Mum nearly fainted." Harry groaned and jostled Shane again. The kitten was looking more and more indignant.

"You have got to be kidding me." No one could say anything before the floo flared _again_ and Lucius Malfoy stepped out.

"Severus, have you heard-"

"Yes! We know!" Lucius noticed the large group in front of him and could understand Harry's outburst. Snape rubbed his temples.

"When did my rooms become a train depot?"

* * *

 **A/N: Well? Meet expectations? And we've already got someone to hate! How brilliant and not completely predictable of me! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

Imprudence: Chapter 2

 **Yay! It's finally spring break! Which means I get to...work on all of the projects that were assigned yesterday and are now due the day we get back...and fan fiction! I am exhausted, but here I am with a new chapter for you! Please...enjoy!**

 **If you haven't caught on** **this is the sequel to** **Propriety.** **It is a continuation of that story, so yes, read that story first. This is still slash and still non-graphic slash. Got a problem with that then skip along please.**

 **Warnings: Probably some violence. Some medical "gore" (i.e. blood and description of injuries or illness). Lots of angst! (you expect anything less;) )**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Big News**

Draco scowled at the potion he was stirring. He was currently sharpening up his technique for when he started his apprenticeship under his godfather and began brewing even harder potions. His mind wasn't on his work, however. It was on Harry.

Two weeks ago, he and Severus had told Harry about the prosecutor who was bringing charges against the Dursleys. Harry had taken the news as well as could be expected, but ever since then, Draco's Intended had thrown himself into studying any and every thing that he could to prepare for Healer training. That in and of itself wasn't a bad thing, however, Harry also wasn't eating properly, to the point where Severus had to sneak nutrition potions into his drinks at mealtimes.

If Draco could he would strangle the prosecutor with his bare hands. He wouldn't care if such things were below a Malfoy as long as it meant the man would no longer be causing Harry such distress. Harry had made it perfectly clear that he didn't approve of Draco's suggestions and the blond was promptly banished from Harry's home until he quote: stopped thinking like a spoiled, violent prat.

Draco's potion suddenly turned a slimy green and he had to quickly banish it. Sighing, he dropped his head. He clearly wasn't in the right frame of mind to be brewing. Draco cleaned up his work station and then stomped upstairs.

When he continued his stomping into the living room, his mother shot him a stern look.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you stop stomping around like an angry toddler this instant." Draco sheepishly did as asked and took a seat across from his mother. Narcissa had lots of paint chips and fabric swatches spread out in front of her. At his inquisitive look, Narcissa explained.

"Lucius finally procured an appropriate building for the orphanage. I went there earlier this morning and am now trying to decide how to decorate the children's rooms. The Minister's new assistant was able to give us an estimate on how many children to expect and the number is quite depressing." Narcissa trailed off for a moment, thinking of all the abandoned and traumatized children. She shook her head and smiled at her son. "So, to cheer myself up, I'm decorating. You look like you could use some cheering up yourself."

Draco sighed again and nodded.

"I was trying to get my mind off of Harry for a while, but even brewing isn't doing the trick. I just wish I could help him." Narcissa gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I know you do, Dear. We all do, however, there are some things that people need to work through themselves. Harry needs to work through his feelings about the trial on his own without you trying to fix everything." Draco clenched the arms of his chair self-consciously at the fond admonishment. "Trust me, Dear. Your father is the same way. Most of the time it can be amusing or romantic, but sometimes it's just a bit much. I'm not a damsel in need of rescuing and neither is Mr. Potter." Draco knew this, but it didn't make him want to protect his Intended any less.

Harry had dealt with enough in his life, and Draco wanted him to be happy, like he deserved.

"When will Harry hear back about his application?" Draco was grateful for the change in subject and grasped it with both hands.

"Today or tomorrow. The training starts in two weeks and then he'll be ridiculously busy for two years straight, followed by a year of ward rotations." Training to be a magical Healer was hard and difficult and grueling, mostly in the emotional and physical sense. The procedures themselves weren't hard to learn since magic is such a central part of a witch or wizard. Essentially, people had the skill or they didn't and those without were quickly ferreted out and sent packing.

"Well then, I expect you'll hear from Harry today or tomorrow. I doubt he'd keep such news from you. And you, Draco? Have you determined the subject you want your Potions Mastery to focus on?" Narcissa kept her eyes on her swatches and paired them with paint chips as her son began to ramble on about his beloved potions. Lady Malfoy had been duly skilled in potions while in school, but it had never sparked a passion in her like it had for her son. She loved hearing him speak so excitedly even if she didn't follow all of the theory he babbled about.

Lucius walked into the room as Draco was in the midst of animatedly explaining his Potion's Mastery project to his mother. The Lord smiled at seeing his son so excited and his wife looking amused and fond. Draco eventually saw him and paused mid-sentence, finally seeming to notice he was rambling.

"Hello, Father." Lucius tilted his head in greeting as he stepped closer.

"Hello, Draco. I was going to ask your mother to look something over for me, but perhaps the both of you could give me advice. I've gotten everything set up for the charity Harry envisioned, but I was trying to come up with a…perhaps, _less-Malfoy_ way of announcing it to the public." All three Malfoys were soon roped into the conversation.

After an hour and a half of hearty brain storming, they finally came up with a solution. Lucius smiled satisfactorily down at the plan he held. This would work wonderfully. When he opened his mouth to announce such a fact, their floo flared to life. Suddenly, Harry Potter's head was poking through.

"Draco! Draco! I got in!" Harry was beaming and then he noticed that Draco wasn't the only person in the room. Even through the flames, they could make out Harry's blush. The young man cleared his throat. "Um…hello, Lucius, Narcissa. How are you?" Narcissa laughed cheerfully.

"We're just fine, Dear. It sounds as if you've got some great news. Care to share?" The woman was clearly teasing him, but Harry didn't mind. He knew it was all in good fun and it didn't dampen his spirits in the slightest.

"I just heard from the Healer Training program. I've been accepted into their accelerated course and get to study under some of their top physicians!" Harry's smile dimmed a little bit. "They even said they'd give me the time I need off to deal with the trial. I was worried about that." Lucius gave Harry an encouraging smile.

"That is wonderful news, Young Man. Let me tell you: they wouldn't do such a thing for just anyone. They must have been very impressed with your application and exam scores." Harry's smile lifted again.

"Thank you, Sir. Severus said the same thing. They're having me start early, next week, to hopefully counteract the days I'll miss for the trial. It'll ensure I graduate on time." Draco smiled at his Intended, even as his heart jumped at the news. It meant he would have less time with Harry…but it also meant Harry would start fulfilling his dream which was wonderful.

Lucius and Narcissa filled Harry in on the progress they had made on the charity and orphanage which only brightened Harry's already shining mood. The young Healer-To-Be was eager to see the building and even offered some ideas as to decorations or activities for the children. When Lucius explained the charity announcement plan they had developed Harry let out a relieved sigh.

"I was worried you were going to make me speak at a big event or something." Lucius chuckled.

"Of course not. You might want to consider attending the ball we'll hold to get things started on donations, but people won't link it to you. You're lucky. Kingsley suggested naming it after you." Harry looked horrified at the prospect making them all laugh. Then the man in the flames turned to Draco, who hadn't said much since Harry had (literally) shown his face.

"Draco? Can you come through? I'd like to talk." Draco felt a strange panic flutter in his chest as he nodded and stood. His parents laughed internally as their son looked like he was walking to the gallows. They knew the "Talk" wasn't going to be anything bad. The two loved each other too much, even if they hadn't admitted it to each other yet.

Narcissa and Lucius waved Draco off and offered Harry one final congratulations before the connection ended. They both sighed and settled next to each other on the love seat.

"When are you going to start planning their wedding," Lucius jokingly asked. Narcissa laughed as she leaned forward to rearrange the paint chips and swatches once more.

"What makes you think I haven't already?"

* * *

Draco didn't stumble out of the floo even though his legs were shaking. He tried to surreptitiously calm himself with deep breaths. He may not have dated seriously before, but one thing he knew for certain: being asked to Talk was never a good thing. Harry smiled at him warily as he came in.

Draco was waiting for the let down when suddenly he found himself with a mop full of dark hair up his nose. Harry's arms squeezed him almost too tight, but Draco didn't care. He just wrapped his own arms around Harry and gave as good as he got.

"I'm sorry I kicked you out last time. I was being stupid." Draco huffed into Harry's hair.

"You weren't being stupid. I know this is a big deal for you, Harry. You have a right to be upset, and I wasn't helping with all of my bravado." Harry pulled back and raised an eyebrow at his Intended's odd phrasing. Draco cleared his throat and his cheeks tinted a bit.

"Mother may have informed me that the Malfoy way of trying to fix everything by treating you like a damsel in distress is not always the best way to go about things." Harry snorted.

"I knew I liked your mother for a reason. Come on. I made some lunch and maybe you'll have more luck dragging Severus out of his lab than I did." Draco smiled and went in search of his godfather.

Sure enough, the man was bent over a cauldron, staring at it with such intensity Draco was sure he was heating it with his gaze. Draco was about to bid his godfather to come to lunch when he sniffed the air. His brows pulled together.

"What are you making?" Snape finally looked up and then beckoned him closer.

"I'm working on a more potent headache reliever. You know Harry has those migraines from time to time. Well, I've added a sliver of unicorn hair and…" In moments Draco was sucked in. His mind was running as fast as his godfather's as they bubbled with excitement over this possible breakthrough. They were starting to discuss possibilities for Draco creating a potion for seizures as his Mastery project, when someone cleared their throat at the door.

Both Slytherins looked up to find a playfully glaring Gryffindor standing in the doorway with his arms crossed.

"Draco, I sent you to fetch him, not encourage him. Come on. It's time for lunch." With that Harry walked away, and the two Slytherins begrudgingly put a halt on their potions discussion. If they started up again they would only fall back into their little bubble and Harry would have to fetch them… _again_.

When they got to the dining area, Harry did have a lovely lunch set out for them. Harry set a pitcher of lemonade on the table as they all sat down.

"I had to fight the House Elves to let me make this meal, so you better eat it." Severus snorted.

"Congratulations. Now they are probably all up them banging their heads into cabinets thinking they've displeased you in some way." Harry shook his head.

"Nope. I finally managed to convince them that I like cooking and I wanted to cook for my family. I may or may not have also ordered them _not_ to hurt themselves." Draco had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing. It was such a Harry thing to do and the image of a bunch of house elves quivering and twitching trying not to bang themselves with cooking utensils was amusing. Instead he sighed in overdramatized relief.

"Well, at least you don't go on about SPEW. I think I'd have to drop the Courtship if that were the case." Harry held up his fork threateningly towards his Intended and the three men fell into relaxed banter. They came to a lull at one point and Severus cleared his throat.

"Harry, I know you told Draco about your acceptance into Healer Training, but did you tell him about the other letter you received?" Draco watched as Harry's smile turned into a harsh scowl. The Gryffindor viciously stabbed a piece of fruit.

"No, I didn't." Harry continued to mutilate his food, until he finally sighed and gave in to the quiet prompting. He met Draco's concerned gaze. "I got a letter the other day from the Prosecutor. His name is Thornsworth. He wanted to tell me how _happy_ he was that he could pursue justice on my behalf." Harry stabbed more fruit and Draco began to fear for the plate. "The letter then went on to tell me what he _expected_ _of me_. 'I know this is going to be a difficult trial for you, Mr. Potter, however when it comes time for your appearance in court, please do try and contain your anger. Oh, and it would be for the best if you left your Beau at home.' Ugh!"

Draco was as disgusted as Harry, and Severus, clearly were. This person had the audacity to drag Harry's personal business through the papers to get his five minutes of fame, and then demand that Harry not get angry in the courtroom? Then he told Harry to leave his _Beau_ at home, as if Draco were some dog he was having a fling with? Draco's jaw ached from how hard he ground his teeth together.

"Did this ingrate expect a reply?" Harry shrugged innocently.

"I don't know. The letter accidentally fell into the fire before I could finish reading it." Draco huffed in amusement.

"And then he used that same fire to _accidentally_ contact the Minister of Magic and _accidentally_ bit the man's head off." Harry had the decency to look sheepish as his now-father explained what happened to Draco.

"I know it's not his fault, but I needed to yell at someone at the Ministry, and I knew Kingsley could take it." The blond Slytherin couldn't help laughing, and soon they fell back into happier topics, though the looming threat still weighed heavy on their minds.

* * *

 **Trust me, I wish applying to medical school was this easy and that the amount of schooling was this short. I can dream, okay!?**


	3. Chapter 3

Imprudence: Chapter 3

 **First week back from break and I already want another one. Oh well, halfway to the end! (of the school semester that is. Don't worry lots more to go for this story)**

 **If you haven't caught on** **this is the sequel to** **Propriety.** **It is a continuation of that story, so yes, read that story first. This is still slash and still non-graphic slash. Got a problem with that then skip along please.**

 **Warnings: Probably some violence. Some medical "gore" (i.e. blood and description of injuries or illness). Lots of angst! (you expect anything less;) )**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **The Meeting**

Before long Harry was in the midst of Healer Training at St. Mungo's. Despite the long hours, insane amount of work and the exhaustion that came with it, Harry absolutely loved what he was doing. The St. Mungo's accelerated program assigned each student to a General Healer and the student learned from that Healer for half of the program, being a year. Then the last year of the training was spent rotating through all other specific disciplines. At the end of the training, the student would be assigned to the discipline they showed the most promise in.

The following six months would be spent with the student holding tentative Healer status, where they treat patients under the supervision of an accredited Healer. At the end of the six month period, the student's progress would be evaluated and they would either become a certified Healer or would have to continue supervised treatment for another six months.

The minimum total time training was less than the regular Healers Program but with more work and higher expectations. Harry loved his mentor even though the man constantly got a kick out of teasing him for his enthusiasm. His mentor had been practicing at St. Mungo's for over thirty years and had a lot of great stories to share. Not only that, but he didn't treat Harry any differently for who he was or who he was Courting, though the man did warn him not to let it interfere with his treatment of patients.

Draco and Severus always laughed when Harry tripped straight out of the floo and face first onto the couch. He passed out almost instantly, and the moment he woke up he was back on his feet, grabbing something to eat and back to St. Mungo's. Snape was pleased about one thing though: Harry was so busy and tired that he wasn't having magic flare-ups from his magical core. He was either too tired to get terribly emotional or too drained to spare any energy to make the rooms shake.

The two Slytherins could tell that Harry loved what he was doing and was working hard, but they both hoped the boy wouldn't burn out. He hadn't dedicated himself as much to his studies at Hogwarts and they were slightly worried the work load would cause him to crumble. However, they both had faith in him and told him as much when they got a moment to talk.

"I mean it's absolutely fantastic! Healer Jason is brilliant and treats his patients like each one of them is special. He's also been teaching me specific spells that _he_ created! I…I think…well, I'm gonna see how it goes and then maybe tell him about the Aura's thing, you know how I got rid of Narcissa's bruise? I mean, if you think that'd be alright. Oh, who knows if I'll even make it to the three month mark! Healer Jason say's that's when most students hit a wall and end up dropping out. I'm exhausted all the time. How do I know I'll be able to handle it?" Harry had just woken up from a dead sleep and had heavily-caffeinated tea.

Needless to say the boy was a little jittery. Severus reached out and covered his now-son's twitching hands in his own.

"Harry, I'm glad you like your mentor. I have no doubt you'll make it to this dreaded three month mark, and if you believe you can trust him, I'd tell Healer Jason about your gift once you've passed three months. Now, eat your sandwich before I have to shove it down your throat. You have to be back at the hospital in fifteen minutes." Harry looked at the clock and cursed.

The Gryffindor choked the food down, chugged the rest of the tea and with a hasty goodbye, fell back through the floo.

Draco, who was at the school discussing his project with his godfather, blinked at the now-empty seat across from him. When Snape snorted at Harry's hasty retreat, Draco turned to him.

"I knew he was passionate about becoming a Healer, but I didn't think he would turn into Granger. He sounded like her when she talks about her law internship." Snape sighed fondly and stood, placing Harry's empty tea cup in the sink.

"He sounds like Lily. She could babble for hours about something she was passionate about, usually charms. She would talk so fast I could hardly keep up. Come now, Draco. Let us examine the ingredients you have chosen."

* * *

Harry was talking to Healer Jason about the patient that had just walked out the door, when a nurse flew into the room. She was followed by two other nurses each of whom glared daggers into her back. She batted her eyelashes at him as she held out a letter.

"This came for you from the Ministry, Harry. They said it was urgent." Harry grimaced and thanked the nurse. He did his best not to cringe when the woman giggled like a loon and walked away followed by her two rivals. Some of the nurses had taken a _liking_ to Harry, despite the fact that it was well-known he was in a committed relationship. Apparently he was just too cute and too sweet. Healer Jason sighed beside him.

"Well at least their crushes are good for something: you'll know immediately if _anything_ happens." Harry snorted and rolled his eyes.

"As long as they don't ignore the patients in favor of doing something nice to get my attention I'll just let it be." Healer Jason chuckled then turned away to give Harry the semblance of privacy to read his letter.

Harry, who had already been wary about the letter's potential contents, grew more tense and anxious as he read it. Healer Jason could easily guess what it was about.

"Have they set a date for the trial?" Harry's pinched expression was answer enough but the young man spoke anyway.

"Yes, Sir. The prosecutor says I need to go to his office tomorrow so he can prep me to testify. The trial starts next Monday. He says it will only take a couple of days at most, but…" Healer Jason nodded.

"But knowing that it's you and the press are going to turn this into a circus, it'll likely take a lot longer than that. Don't worry, young man. We knew this was going to happen when we accepted you into the program, and this is why we had you start early. There's just rounds left today. Why don't you knock off early? I'll see you the day after tomorrow and I'll be sure to distract you till Monday with plenty of cold's and toe fungus." Harry gave a weak laugh and mock shudder and thanked the man.

Healer Jason really was a great man to have as a mentor, and Harry felt like he'd gotten lucky for once in his life. He stuffed the letter in his pocket and then signed out at the Nurses' Station. The same young ladies as before were there and kept batting their eyelashes. Harry waited until he turned around to roll his eyes.

The exhausted Gryffindor practically fell through the floo and into Severus's living room. He made it to the couch and flopped down on it. Harry brought his hands up to cover his face and then groaned.

"Merlin's beard!" Harry jumped at his adopted father's shout of alarm. He was on his feet with his wand raised in half a second, only to find that Snape was glaring at _him_. The Potion's Master crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you doing home? I didn't expect you for at least another two hours!" Harry raised a brow and shrugged.

"Sorry?" Severus sighed and pinched his brow.

"Let me rephrase that: You're home early. What a pleasant surprise." Harry huffed a tired laugh and sat back down.

"Good to see you too. I got a letter from Prosecutor Thornsworth and Healer Jason sent me home early. I have to go in tomorrow to _work on my testimony._ " Severus sat next to Harry on the couch and pulled the boy into his side with an arm.

"I too was called in. If that prosecutor has any sense he'll let us talk to him together." Harry lifted his head and looked at his guardian.

"Isn't that not allowed? Won't the defense say we corroborated or something?" Snape huffed.

"That's usually just a worry if two suspects get together before being questioned by authorities. Not to mention, if the prosecutor is smart he will _want_ our stories to line up. If we contradict each other that would be a big problem. Besides, he'd be even more stupid than he already is to think that we wouldn't tell each other what happened as soon as we were out of his sight." Harry barked out a laugh and nodded against Severus's shoulder.

"Right. Didn't even think of that." Harry relaxed against Snape even farther and settled in. "So, what have you and Draco been working on?"

Severus regaled Harry with every detail he could think of describing the potion he and Draco were developing. Though Harry's last year of potions was a lot better than any of his previous years, he had a hard time keeping up with everything that his guardian was saying. He didn't care though. He and Snape hadn't had time to just talk in a long while, and Harry was going to relish it.

* * *

The meeting with Prosecutor Thornsworth came all too soon. Despite Severus being at his side, Harry's stomach was all in knots. Draco had offered to come along as well, but Harry insisted he stay behind. The prosecutor already suggested that Harry not take Draco to the trial, if he brought him to this meeting, the man may have him banned from the courtroom.

Harry could feel eyes on him as soon as they set foot in the Ministry building. The volume around them increased ten fold as everyone began talking about him. It made his cheeks flush with color and his magic tingle just under his skin. Snape glared at the gawkers and eventually people backed off a little bit.

They were a hallway away, when they came across a pleasantly familiar face.

"Harry, Severus! What brings you two here?" Arthur Weasley smiled brightly at the father and son duo and shook Snape's hand before dragging Harry into a big hug.

"Hello, Arthur. We are unfortunately here to see the man who decided to prosecute Harry's relatives. He wants to work on our testimonies with us." Arthur's face instantly darkened.

"Ah. Yes, he's not a favorite around here. Thought he'd get big from pulling a stunt like this, but unfortunately for him, most of the people in the department are either big fans of Harry or are absolutely insulted that he would just decide to prosecute a minor's case and then spread private information around to all the vultures in the news. All cases involving a minor, celebrity or not, are supposed to be kept under the utmost confidentiality. He ruined any chance he had of getting promoted by running to the media like he did, not that he realizes that yet. He'll find out at his next Performance Review in a month or so."

Harry managed a small smile upon hearing that.

"Well, at least there's some silver lining." Arthur gave him an encouraging smile and patted his shoulder.

"That's the spirit, Harry. Just keep your chin up no matter what anyone says and remember you've got a lot of people in your corner. Ah," Arthur's face brightened. "Molly has been meaning to ask you two to dinner for some time. Do you think you'll be able to make it this evening?" Snape shared a look with Harry and then nodded.

"Of course, Arthur. Tell Molly thank you, for us. Now, we must be going." Arthur nodded.

"Of course, of course. Well, good luck then, and Severus, try not to hex the man, no matter how much you may want to." Snape sneered as they went their separate ways.

"No promises." As expected, his muttered response got Harry to laugh. They walked as close as humanly possible until they got to a frosted glass door with the name Thornsworth printed in small letters.

Severus knocked on the door, and it quickly sprung open to reveal a tall, pointy man that looked like the skinny version of Peter Pettigrew. If Harry didn't like him before, he definitely didn't now. Thornsworth smiled at them, revealing yellow teeth, and ushered them inside.

"Come in. Come in! It's such a pleasure to meet two war heroes, despite the circumstances. Please, take a seat." The two sat in ratty looking chairs, both tense as bow strings. Thornsworth pulled a case file out from one of his many drawers and sat down across from them. "Let me start by saying, I am so very eager to get justice for you, Mr. Potter, very-"

"Potter-Snape." The man stopped in his tracks and blinked.

"Sorry?" Harry smiled sharply.

"It's Potter-Snape. I was adopted remember? Another thing that got printed in the papers without my permission." Thornsworth pursed his lips for a moment, before smiling again.

"Of course, Mr. Potter-Snape. Well, as I was saying, I am very eager to see that justice is served in this case, _your_ case…"

* * *

 **This Prosecutor makes me so mad and _I_ created him! My power is too great! I'm creating monsters!**

 **Please review ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

Imprudence: Chapter 4

 **My brain is slowly melting...I was able to wring this chapter out of it though! Just so you know, I will be referring to Harry as Severus' son and Snape as Harry's father, from now on. It just makes it easier than: now adopted son/father, etc.**

 **If you haven't caught on** **this is the sequel to** **Propriety.** **It is a continuation of that story, so yes, read that story first. This is still slash and still non-graphic slash. Got a problem with that then skip along please.**

 **Warnings: Probably some violence. Some medical "gore" (i.e. blood and description of injuries or illness). Lots of angst! (you expect anything less;) )**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **The People in Your Corner**

Both Harry and Snape were vibrating by the time they left Thornsworth's office. The mad was as terrible as expected. For the moment, they couldn't even acknowledge the fact that he wasn't a terrible lawyer. All they could see was a despicable human being.

The entire time he fawned over Harry and Severus, though he clearly was only kind to Snape because he was Harry's guardian. It took forever for the man to shape their testimonies to his liking. He warned them that the defense was going to push that Veritaserum not be used during the trial because Harry's relatives were muggle.

 _"He'll say that the potion is known to have adverse effects on non-magical persons, but that study was inconclusive, and hopefully the judge will see through it. Now, I tried to get charges brought against your cousin as well, but the judge was averse to charging someone of minor age in our community for abuse of a minor-"_

 _"No. Absolutely not. Don't charge Dudley." Thornsworth looked taken aback._

 _"From what information I've gathered, he was one of your tormentors as well, was he not?" Harry clenched his jaw._

 _"He and I came to an understanding before my seventh year. I forgave him and moved on. His parents taught and encouraged his behavior. He's doing well. I get letters from him every so often. Don't bring him into this." Thornsworth reluctantly dropped his interest in Dudley Dursley and moved on._

The prosecutor warned them of the tricks the defense would likely pull: blaming Severus for most of it or saying Harry just wanted attention or even blaming Draco for encouraging him to lie. Harry had to bite his tongue to keep from saying nasty things for most of the meeting and he was holding hard on the reigns of his magic by the time they finally left.

Snape kept his arm around Harry's shoulders the whole way out of the Ministry and Harry buried himself into his guardian's side to keep calm. He ignored everyone else around them and just focussed on Severus. Harry didn't even let go when they made it back to their home at Hogwarts. They both settled onto the couch, and Severus ordered them a snack from the school House Elves given the late hour. Besides, after that meeting, neither one of them was very hungry.

They sat quietly and nibbled every so often on the food provided, each of them trying to calm down and process everything.

"This isn't going to end well," Harry said, finally breaking the silence. Severus sighed quietly.

"I can hope…but, I fear you are correct. Whether this trial is won or not, though I can't see any jury _not_ convicting your Aunt and Uncle, there will be some unpleasant repercussions from this case." Snape sighed again and looked at the time. "Harry, I think you should try and get some sleep before we head to the Weasleys' for dinner. You're exhausted and will have a full weekend of work ahead of you. Take the time to catch up on your sleep." Harry didn't like being told to take a nap (he was an _adult_ no matter what the Wizarding World said) but he couldn't help that his guardian was right.

Eventually Harry nodded.

"Yeah, alright." Snape quirked his lip up trying not to laugh at the boy's put upon tone. Instead he ran his fingers through his son's hair.

"Thank you. While you rest, I think I'll head over to speak with Lucius and Narcissa. They will no doubt want to know what the plan is and how the meeting with Prosecutor Thornsworth went." Harry nodded.

"Not to mention you need other adults to talk to. You can't be the rock all of the time." Snape raised a brow at Harry's blunt yet astute observation.

"Most of the time I am certain the Sorting Hat put you in the correct house…and then you say something that makes me question it." Severus didn't know what to make of Harry's secretive smile.

"I have no idea what you mean. I'm going to go rest now. Tell them I said hi." Severus watched his son go, shaking his head fondly. Every day that boy destroyed more and more of his old beliefs and expectations about him. Every so often, Severus would stop and think about where he used to be and where he had ended up, and it astounded him how much he had changed…and for the better. Never in a million years would he have entertained the idea that he would adopt James Potter's son and that the boy would bring him great joy every day. As such, the Potions Master refused to let anyone harm Harry. This trial would _not_ break him; Severus wouldn't let it.

Snape shook himself from his thoughts and went over to the floor. Calling out "Malfoy Manor!" he stepped in and disappeared in the flames.

* * *

Narcissa and Lucius were watching their son pace back and forth. Draco had been anxious ever since his Intended and Godfather had left to meet with Prosecutor Thornsworth. Lucius had asked around about the man and hadn't been all too impressed. He had heard that while Thornsworth was a decent enough lawyer, better than average, he was too focussed on promotions and moving up the social ladder. If it meant he would get recognized for something, he would drop any pretense of discretion and confidentiality, a terrible trait in someone who works a lot of cases with minors.

"Draco, calm down. Sit. It will be fine. The man will hardly hex them." Draco huffed.

"Maybe I'm more worried that Uncle Sev and Harry will hex _him_ , then they'll get in trouble." Draco took a deep breath and finally seated himself on the couch between his parents. Narcissa ran her fingers through his blond hair and reassured him once more.

Not twenty seconds later, Severus stepped through the fireplace, causing Draco to jump to his feet once more. Snape immediately held up a hand to stop his godson from assaulting him with questions.

"The meeting went as well as could be expected. Harry is fine, but emotionally exhausted. I highly recommended to him that he take advantage of his day off of training and catch up on his rest." When Draco still looked tense, Severus stepped forward and hugged him. "You may go see him if you wish, but don't blame me if Harry yells at you for watching him while he sleeps!" Draco was gone in a flash of flames not a moment after Severus finished speaking.

Narcissa was the first to break the tense silence.

"And how are _you,_ Severus? We know this wasn't any easier on yourself." Snape sighed and forced himself to sit. He felt equal parts exhausted and like energy was buzzing under his skin.

"It took all of my will power not to murder the man with my bare hands," the Potions Master said, his fingers curling over the arms of the chair. Lucius nodded his understanding.

"Well I commend your will power, my friend. I can't say I would have been able to restrain myself in such a situation." Severus huffed without amusement. His lips pursed together.

"That man sees this whole thing as a-a game! The trial's only importance is to get him a promotion. _Harry's_ only importance is to get himself a promotion! I-" Snape took a deep breath and bit his tongue to quell his anger as best he could. "We ran into Arthur Weasley on the way to the meeting and he let us know that the man will not be getting the promotion he so seeks. From what I understand, many people will likely be pushing to have Prosecutor Thornsworth fired at his next Performance Review, whether he wins this case or not."

"So now you feel that Harry is being put through all of this for nothing," Narcissa commented quietly. Snape nodded slowly.

"I…I wanted to charge those beasts. Hell, I would have rather paid them a personal visit then drag them into a courtroom, but they needed to be charged and I needed to stay out of Azkaban for Harry. I was going to find a very discreet lawyer and quiet judge and have Harry's involvement be minimal at _most_. Now, this man is dragging all of his personal nightmares and hellish childhood out into the public eye. He's going to destroy Harry with his disregard for his privacy and…I feel I have failed him as a guardian." Lucius surprised his wife and friend by hissing.

"I refuse to hear you speak like that, Severus. You know Harry would hex you for saying such a thing too. You are doing the best you can and Harry knows that. That boy is so happy when he talks about you. For all the years we secretly watched over him, I haven't seen him smile as much as he does now. I…" Lucius paused as if considering whether to continue, before seeming to make up his mind. "I heard him speaking with Draco not long after you presented him with the adoption papers. He said that he never thought he'd get a family as wonderful as you. He thought he didn't deserve one. Every so often I hear him comment to my son that he worries he's not worthy of _you_. Severus, he loves you like a father and I guarantee you, you have _not_ failed him."

Snape's chest and throat tightened with emotions he hadn't let himself feel for years. Harry had brought them out more and more recently since the Dark Lord was finally, completely gone and Severus was free to be himself. Snape coughed to clear his throat some.

"Thank you, Lucius. I…this trial is affecting me more than I thought. I just want what is best for Harry. He's been through enough. He deserves to be happy and be at peace." Narcissa smiled and reached over to take his hand.

"So do you, Severus. So do you." Severus grasped her hand firmly and smiled at his two best friends.

* * *

Eventually, Severus had to go and collect Harry. They were due at the Weasleys' in half an hour, and Severus was sure he'd have to drag Harry away from Draco. He stepped into his living space and narrowed his eyes immediately.

Neither of the boys were in plain sight. He figured Draco's presence would persuade Harry to not rest and they'd be out on the couch talking. Snape started walking towards Harry's bedroom and hoped he wasn't going to walk in on anything… _untoward_. It was careless of him to just send Draco over to his home, _unchaperoned_ , when he knew his ward would be in his bedroom.

Severus rolled his eyes at himself. He was starting to sound like one of Lucius's ancestors. He had faith that the boys weren't doing anything the Courtship wouldn't allow. Harry wasn't the kind of boy to seek physical intimacy for comfort and Draco wasn't one to take advantage of an emotionally distressed young man for personal gain. If Harry ever heard Snape call him that Severus would get the cold shoulder for a week. It had happened before.

Despite his internal dialogue, Severus still let out a sigh of relief when he pushed open Harry's bedroom door to find both boys clothed and Harry beneath his covers, asleep. Draco was sitting against the headboard (above the covers) and snapped his head up when his godfather entered. When Snape raised an eyebrow at young Mr. Malfoy, Draco motioned for him to wait before carefully getting out of the bed and meeting his godfather outside in the hall. The young man closed Harry's bedroom door behind him

"We didn't do anything; I swear," were the first words out of Draco's mouth. Severus held his stern look for another few seconds, before rolling his eyes and smiling.

"I know you didn't, Draco. I am just giving you a hard time. How is he?" Draco mock glared at his godfather for a moment, before looking at Harry's door and sighing.

"He got worked up when I just asked him how the meeting went. We worked through it and it took a little while, but he eventually fell asleep. He's been out for about an hour." Snape nodded his understanding of the situation.

"Well, at least he got some sleep. I need to wake him up now. We have been invited to the Weasley's for dinner. Why don't you go on home now, Draco, and I'll see you tomorrow." Draco nodded and with a quick hug to his godfather, left through the floo.

Severus entered Harry's room and walked up to his son's bed. He reached out and stroked his fingers through the boy's hair, quietly calling his name. Snape had quickly learned that it was best to wake Harry gently, otherwise he could get blasted back by the boy's protective magic. This way, it only took a few seconds for Harry's eyes to flutter open and the young Healer-in-Training didn't panic upon waking.

Harry sat up and slid his glasses on his face. He smiled at Severus, then looked around the room in confusion.

"I sent Draco home. We need to get ready and head over to the Weasley's." Harry nodded his understanding and got up. Before long, they were both ready and stepping into the floo.

Harry went first, only stumbling out slightly, but when he looked up he froze, causing Severus to run into his back and nearly send them both to the floor.

"Umph! Harry, what are you-" Snape looked up, his hands curled around Harry's shoulders from trying to stop them both from going down.

Before them was a much larger group than they were expecting. Not only were _all_ of the Weasleys present (including Fleur and the children) but Kingsley, Hermione, Neville, Luna and her father and the Malfoys were also there. Ron stepped forward, a big smile on his face.

"Hey, Mate. Uh…surprise, I guess?" Harry nodded silently, still a bit stunned.

"What…what is…did I forget something?" Those present laughing cheerfully at Harry's dazed questions and Molly shook her head.

"Not at all, Dear. We…well, we figured the two of you could use some cheering up given what's been going on. We all have been in contact for a while now, just waiting for the opportunity to present itself." Arthur stepped up next to his wife, his arm going around her waist as he smiled at Harry and Severus.

"We just wanted to remind you of all the people in your corner. You're not alone in this. Neither of you are." Harry looked up and back to catch Severus's small smile, and sent a blooming one of his own to the rest of the room.

"Thank you. I…just thank you."

* * *

 **The Prosecutor is getting Death Threats in the review section...this is insane. XD**

 **Please review ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

Imprudence: Chapter 5

 **I'm on a break from school that...is proving to not be much of a break at all. :( Whatever, finals are in a few weeks and then I'll be done!**

 ****Please keep in mind, I really don't know much about law. All I know comes from the multiple cop shows I watch here in the US. I am probably missing a lot of proper procedure and such. Please be kind and enjoy!**

 **Warnings: Much angst and cruel Dursleys ahead!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **The Trial Begins**

Spending the evening with all of his friends, his _family_ , was just what he needed. Draco had practically glued himself to Harry's side the entire time and Harry didn't mind one bit.

Both Harry and Severus were reluctant to leave, but they eventually said their goodbyes and flooed back home. Harry almost fell over himself laughing when the first thing either of them saw when coming out of the fireplace was Shane sitting in the middle of the rug glaring daggers at them. The tiny kitten then stood up, flicked his tail at them and waltzed away without a backwards glance.

Despite his attitude, Shane still curled up with Harry that night to sleep, and the Healer-in-Training had to maneuver out of bed in a certain way so as not to knock the kitten from his pillow. It was such a strange way to start the morning that Harry was biting back giggles on his way out of his bedroom.

Needless to say, Harry was in a much better mood when he showed up for training the following day. If Healer Jason was surprised he didn't show it. The older man just smiled at Harry and let him know what they would be starting with. Harry was soon swept up in a whirlwind of magic and strange ailments and either mean or flirty old witches that lasted for a good couple of days. Unfortunately, it also made the weekend go by a lot faster than Harry had hoped.

In no time at all, Harry woke to the day of the trial. He laid in bed staring at the ceiling of his room trying to find the will to get up and get dressed. Shane stood up and stretched and walked over to sit on Harry's chest. The little kitten reached forward and batted at Harry's nose, meowing softly.

Harry brought his hands up and stroked the soft black fur.

"I know I have to go…but I really don't want to." Harry sighed again, a little shaky this time. "Shane…I'm scared." Shane meowed again before leaning forward and licking Harry's cheek. The young man couldn't help but smile at his new familiar and scooped the kitten up to his chest as he sat up.

He carried the kitten with him all the way into the kitchen, where he found Severus silently sipping tea and eating a light breakfast. Harry sat himself across from his adopted father, dropping Shane into his lap, and Snape pushed a plate of food across the table to Harry. The young man raised a brow at him in question.

"This is going to be a long and difficult day, Harry. I want you to go in with strength and not collapse halfway through from not eating. Here." Severus handed him a familiar blue potion. Harry smirked bitterly.

"Haven't had to use this in a while." Without further comment, Harry downed the Stomach Calming Potion and then picked up his fork. Before long his food was gone with only a few small bits of bacon getting lost to an adorable, begging kitten. Eventually, father and son were sitting at the table just staring at empty breakfast plates.

Severus sighed.

"As much as neither of us want to, we must get ready to go to court. It can't be over until we begin." Harry nodded quietly and stood with the Potions Master. When he got back to his room, Shane wiggled in his arms. The young man quickly put the squirming creature down.

"Sorry, Shane." His arms now free, Harry slowly got dressed and took a long few minutes brushing his teeth. He stared at his tired, defeated expression in the mirror…and got angry. He had defeated a Dark Lord. He had saved the Wizarding World. He wouldn't let some prosecutor with an agenda destroy the happy life he'd built.

Harry would go in to that court room, stare the Dursleys down and _win._ Determined now, Harry gave his familiar one last pet before meeting his guardian in the living room. Severus raised a brow at the set look on his son's face but was quietly pleased. It wouldn't do for his boy to walk in already looking beat.

Snape stepped forward and straightened the tie Harry had decided to wear.

"Your hair is as hopeless as ever, but you've cleaned up well otherwise. We will be flooing to the Leaky Cauldron then Apparating to a back entrance of the Ministry. Kingsley has set up a more private escape route for us that we can use whenever we need to come and go for the trial." Harry smiled a little at the consideration of the Minister and nodded.

They stepped into the floo together and then quickly Apparated to the Ministry building. Some sneaky reporters had decided to stake out the Leaky Cauldron, assuming the two of them would have to make use of it as an Apparition point. Severus and Harry whisked away to the cries of questions and dismay.

When they landed at the Ministry, they were both tense, expecting more reporters despite the Minister's attempt at guarding them. Severus and Harry were both pleasantly surprised then, when the only people they saw were Arthur Weasley and another Auror who had helped get Harry back from his kidnappers. Arthur smiled at the two.

"The Minister had us put up extra strong Keep-Away wards, so all of the reporters are gathered at the front of the building. And don't worry, none of them are allowed in the courtroom, either. Only the court scribe will be writing things down." The other Auror stepped forward and introduced himself.

"Hello. I'm Auror Winthrop. I'll be escorting you two to and from the courtroom each day of the trial along with Mr. Weasley. Minister Shacklebolt sends his regards, but he is keeping his distance from the case in hopes to bring less attention to it. Now, shall we head in?" Snape and Harry nodded and followed the two men into the building. They were kept to very quiet back corridors that neither of them knew existed but were soon led out into the recognizable waiting area. Harry was having flashbacks from the summer before his fifth year and the Horcrux hunt that led them to the Ministry.

Shoving those thoughts aside, he followed his adopted father and his body guards into the courtroom. Prosecutor Thornsworth smiled brightly upon seeing them and came over immediately.

"Glad to see you're here early for the big day. Honestly I was expecting it to be a bit…louder, I guess." The man looked around the near empty courtroom. Harry couldn't help himself; the man was just completely unbelievable.

"Yeah. I'm glad. I hear the reporters get stuck outside for this one." Severus squeezed his shoulder, in rebuke or reluctant approval he wasn't sure. Prosecutor Thornsworth's face was well worth it either way.

"Ah, yes…of course. Well, you are welcome to sit down here with me-"

"Actually, Prosecutor, in cases such as these isn't it protocol for the minor in question to be kept safely away from the accused?" Auror Winthrop kept his tone polite, but Harry could tell he didn't like the prosecutor either.

"Yes, Harry, Severus. It is probably best you sit up in the proscenium. Don't worry. You'll be able to get to the stand easily enough. This way," Arthur gestured towards the proscenium seating and guardian and ward gratefully took the out. They had no desire to stay anywhere near the prosecutor. It was rather nice to see the man getting more and more peeved by the second, though.

Snape and Harry took their seats and Auror Winthrop and Mr. Weasley sat on either side of the pair. Arthur checked his pocket watch.

"A few more people are due to arrive before the panel of judges and the defendants. The trial starts in about ten minutes." Harry's heart leapt at hearing that he only had a few more minutes before he had to see his tormentors again. He could feel his magic buzzing under his skin and begging to be released. Harry closed his eyes and took deep breaths to try and stay calm and keep the magic contained.

A few moments later, Harry heard the door to the courtroom open and a number of people walked in. Thinking it was the judges, Harry kept his eyes tightly shut, not wanting the trial to start. When he heard the distinct sound of a cane, however, his eyes shot open.

Harry's jaw fell as all three Malfoys, Hermione, and Ron came through the door. His friends and family all smiled at him and walked over to join them. Their two body guards moved down the bench so the Malfoys could seat themselves on either side of Harry and Severus. Hermione and Ron took seats right in front of Harry and turned to greet him.

"What are you guys doing here? How are you allowed- I thought-"

"In cases involving minors, reporters are typically kept outside, but family and support groups can attend if they prove themselves to not be a threat. Also, only a certain number of people are allowed to attend, so as not to overwhelm those involved in the trial. Unfortunately, I was only able to get today off for my Internship and only by saying I'd be observing an actual court case, but well…we made it." Hermione finished her little ramble awkwardly. She smiled at her best friend and rubbed a comforting hand on his knee, before pulling away.

"Yeah, Mate. There's all these procedures and checks we had to go through to be allowed in here. I think the Malfoys had to go through a lot more than us though." Harry looked at his Intended, concerned, but Draco only smiled and held his hand tight.

"It was well worth it. I couldn't let you go through this alone. They tried to only let me in, but Mother and Father convinced the officials that they were here to support Uncle Sev." They all looked down at Lord and Lady Malfoy and saw that Severus had indeed relaxed a bit. Harry could feel the man's muscles unwinding as his Intended's parents spoke with his own.

His friends and Intended proved a good distraction as it seemed only moments later the room was filled with judges and the court was called into session.

"This court will now come to order." The presiding judge nodded to a wizard by a door opposite the one Harry, Severus and the others entered through. The wizard answered in kind and opened the door he stood in front of. Immediately, Harry could hear his Aunt's shrill cries of indignation and his Uncle's rage.

He didn't notice either Draco or Snape grabbing each of his hands. His eyes were locked on the open door, and soon, _far too soon_ , he finally saw his "family." His Aunt somehow looked more pale and skinny as she went limp trying to make it harder for the guards to drag her into the courtroom. She wailed like a dying cat.

Uncle Vernon was trying to throw off his guards, which was almost working with the sheer amount of bulk he owned. The wizards were visibly struggling to keep a hold of the large, thrashing man. Uncle Vernon's mustache quivered with outrage.

Then, a terrible thing happened: Uncle Vernon looked up and saw Harry. The man suddenly stopped and his expression grew even more volatile and feral. Vernon Dursley suddenly changed direction on his guards surprising them enough that he was able to rush forward towards the stands.

All of the occupants of the benches reared back as the large man flew towards them.

"You! You disgusting freak! You did this! I always knew you-" Vernon didn't get far before he hit an invisible barrier. Mr. Weasley and Auror Winthrop both had their wands out and pointed at Vernon Dursley, making it clear that they had been the ones to cast the shield. Hermione and Ron had both fallen back into Harry's knees in shock, knocking him back into the bench behind him, bruising his ribs pretty spectacularly.

Harry didn't register the pain though, as he watched his uncle snap at him like a rabid dog.

"You're all FREAKS! Monsters created by the Devil himself to torment us normal folk! You should all burn!" Whatever Vernon was going to say next was stopped by the Head Judge taking out her wand and casting a Specialized Silencing Spell on him.

"Vernon Dursley, it is clear that you can't control your tongue. You will only be able to speak when spoken to. The only time your tongue will be freed to spit vitriol will be when you are called to testify. All other times only polite, _decent_ conversation may pass your lips. Do you understand?" Vernon was hauled up (with much difficulty) to face the stern judge and he opened his mouth to no doubt yell again, only to have no sound come out.

He tried again and again, and the presiding judge only raised a brow, waiting for a verbal answer. It took a while, but she finally got one.

" _Yes_." She nodded and motioned for the guards to escort him to his seat, where he was shackled much like his wife.

In all the commotion, the Dursley's defense lawyer slipped in unnoticed. He didn't try to argue with the judge on the casting of the spell on his client, but he did frown. His clients had refused to speak with him before the trial, saying they didn't want to talk to another Freak no matter who they were. Even before all of the ruckus, the defense attorney knew it would be hard to be impartial in this case.

The defense lawyer hated working these cases. Most of the time he was defending terrible examples of humanity. Very rarely was someone given to him to defend in cases such as this who were innocent.

He sighed internally. He still had a duty to defend his clients to the best of his abilities, no matter what he thought of them as human beings. The man cast a silent apology to the Savior of the Wizarding World and asked Merlin, God, his deceased mother and anyone else who was listening to forgive him for what he was going to do.

No doubt his words would hurt Harry Potter a great deal. Unfortunately, it had to be done.

* * *

 **I didn't want to portray all lawyers at terrible people. The Defense attorney does have a job to do, that he must do no matter his feelings on the matter.**

 **Please review ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

Imprudence: Chapter 6

 **I have not been getting as much writing done on this story as I want! Not only are projects due and finals _very_ soon, but I received a prompt from a reviewer that just got my mind flowing for a completely different fandom and shut down the flow to this story. :/ Oh, well. Here's a chapter anyway.**

 ****Please keep in mind, I really don't know much about law. All I know comes from the multiple cop shows I watch here in the US. I am probably missing a lot of proper procedure and such. Please be kind and enjoy!**

 **Warnings: Much angst and cruel Dursleys ahead!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **First to the Stand**

Harry was going to be sick. He was either going to be sick or his magic was going to collapse the room around them. His heart wouldn't stop pounding. Draco was whispering in his ear, meaningless comforting things that did absolutely nothing to calm the dread filling him up.

On his other side, Severus huffed and pulled a vial out of his robes. Draco immediately recognized it as a Calming Draught and nearly cried in relief. The blond knew his Intended was ten seconds away from hyperventilating himself to unconsciousness or exploding with wild magic. Snape gently grabbed Harry's chin and turned it towards him.

Harry was broken out of his panic by a hand on his face. He blinked, unknowingly sending a rogue tear down his cheek, and met his father's gaze. The Potion's Master showed him a vial and Harry nodded quickly. He felt like he couldn't breathe and knew someone would get hurt if he didn't get his panic under control. Harry grabbed the vial and downed it so fast, Snape blinked in shock.

Never had his son taken a potion so quickly and so eagerly. Severus didn't comment, though he did wrap his arm around Harry's shoulders for additional comfort. When they finally settled and focussed back on their surroundings, a number of judges were eyeing them, some with concern, others with suspicion. The rest were listening with cold faces to the Defense attorney's plea that his clients not be given Veritaserum. The Prosector shook his head and argued that the studies were inconclusive and were, in effect, illegal as they broke the Statute of Secrecy.

The Head Judge was quiet for a few moments, looking between the two lawyers. Finally, she made a decision.

"The defendants will be allowed to speak first without any influence of a potion or spell. If they prove themselves to be uncooperative in answering questions, then they will receive the Veritaserum. Hopefully, this will encourage them to speak _truthfully_ under their own willpower." The Head Judge raised a warning brow at the Dursleys, but the two Muggles just glared back.

Both attorneys accepted the decision without protest and Prosecutor Thornsworth called Petunia Dursley to the stand. Harry's Aunt was dragged to a chair in the center of the room, and as soon as she was seated cuffs sprung up and locked her wrists and ankles in place. She shrieked and tugged at them to no success.

The Prosecutor waited for the Muggle woman to stop her hysterics before he began to question her.

"Mrs. Dursley, how did you come to be in possession of your nephew?" Petunia sneered at Thornsworth.

"The little Freak was left on our doorstep. I don't know when he was left there, but my husband found him in the morning when he left to go to work." Severus bit his tongue to keep from hissing. He could not believe Dumbledore had left a small child he claimed he was trying to protect _outside on a winter's night!_ Clearly the fool had just left him there thinking the Dursleys would find him in moments, and clearly he was wrong.

"Did you know he was your nephew right away, that your sister and her husband had died and you were chosen by Albus Dumbledore as Harry Potter's guardian?" The Prosecutor had explained to them that he could spin the case to include Harry being kidnapped as a child, considering neither of the Potters' wills stated Petunia as guardian. Severus and Harry declined, not wanting to stretch the case that far.

"There was a note. I wasn't surprised my sister was killed by another Freak. But I knew as soon as I saw the boy that he was my sister's son and knew he would be a Freak as well. Even that young he looked just like that fool Potter that my sister married." Everyone in the courtroom was tense. To be perfectly frank no one doubted that the Dursleys would get charged with something with the way they were spouting off. This trial was more about the level of punishment they would receive than anything.

"Mrs. Dursley, when did you start abusing your nephew?"

"Objection! The Prosecution is speculating. There is no-"

" _Sustained_ , Counselor Madison. I admire you for doing your job but acknowledge the reality of your client's position. I won't have you drag this trial out longer than it has to be to complain about every single one of the Prosecution's statements." The Defense attorney nodded tersely and the Head Judge raised a brow at the smug looking Prosecutor. "That being said, Prosecutor Thornsworth, recall that this is actually a trial, not an audition for Muggle television. I won't have you turn this courtroom into a circus like you did with the press."

Prosecutor Thornsworth lost his smirk really quickly and gave the judge his own unhappy nod of acknowledgement. The Head Judge motioned for him to proceed.

"Mrs. Dursley…how did you treat your nephew when you took him in?"

Harry tried to both listen and not pay attention. He didn't want to hear what his Aunt had to say about him but he knew he couldn't get lost in his thoughts again; that would lead to dark places. The Gryffindor noticed a grimace on Hermione's face and tapped her on the shoulder. He mouthed 'What's wrong?' at her and her grimace deepened. She leaned back to whisper to him.

"The judge just interrupted the defense attorney, which is rather rude and disrespectful despite the circumstances. She also basically told him there's no point in defending his clients. We all know they are guilty and I'm sure the defense attorney believes it too, but everyone deserves a fair and honest trial…even the bad people. Otherwise our whole court system and ideals of justice are a sham."

Harry understood where his friend was coming from; he had always known she felt very strongly regarding justice and rights. However, he was having a hard time agreeing with her now. If everyone knew the Dursleys were guilty, why put him through this Hell and just drag out the inevitable for his relatives? By the time he was refocused on the trial, his Aunt was trying to back track around her treatment of him.

"The boy needed a firm hand! He was disrespectful and ungrateful and- and- and always ruining things! He hurt my sweet son too many times to count!" Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes internally, despite his inner turmoil. If anyone actually looked at him and Dudley side-by-side, Harry highly doubted _he_ would be the one people singled out as the aggressor.

"Mrs. Dursley, would you say that a few individuals _suggested_ to you that your nephew needed a firm hand?" Petunia reared back and spluttered.

"Wha- No, I-I-" Prosecutor Thornsworth shrugged.

"It's a simple question, Mrs. Dursley. Did someone, or a few someones, recommend that you harm the boy? Or, better yet, did they pay you to?" Petunia squawked in indignation.

"I'm telling you we didn't harm the boy! It was discipline!"

"Mrs. Dursley, answer the question. I will authorize the use of Veritaserum on you if you don't," the Head Judge warned. Petunia turned a very pasty shade of white, before she sniffed, pulled herself together, and held her nose high in the air.

"Some of your kind would drop the boy off during the summer and tell us he was being difficult and that he would grow more belligerent as he got older. _His magic,_ they said, would start to lash out at us if we didn't keep the boy on a tight leash. We did what we had to, to protect ourselves from that _Freak_." Prosecutor Thornsworth gave Petunia a cold smile.

"No further questions. Your witness," he said to the Defense.

The defense attorney strode towards his client.

"Mrs. Dursley, you've made it pretty clear that you and your husband did not want to hold guardianship over your nephew. If that was the case, then why keep him?" Petunia scowled.

"We tried to get rid of him in the beginning. Whenever we left him some where he kept getting dropped back off by any number of _your kind_. I wrote to that Headmaster of his, telling him to keep the boy away from us, that we didn't want him, but every summer like clockwork he returned. Then, when we thought we were finally rid of him, more of your kind said we had to take him in for another four years! At least those Freaks understood the burden they were placing on us. They didn't try to tell us to 'be kind, the poor boy has been through a lot this year.'" Petunia's voice took on a mocking tone for the last bit of her rant.

"So you were forced to take care of your nephew," Madison asked. Petunia nodded.

"Of course. Who would want _him?_ " Draco's hand clutched Harry's tighter upon hearing his Intended's Aunt spew such venom.

"Were you aware that Severus Snape had been named Harry Potter's primary guardian in your sister's will?" Petunia looked like she had sucked on a lemon.

"My sister and Snape were attached at the hip as kids. He's the one who introduced her to _magic_ and made it seem like some great gift. The last I had heard of him, he had made my sister cry and they weren't speaking to each other. Lily and I fell out of communication around the time she married that Potter fool." Defense Attorney Madison nodded as if it was all completely understandable.

"Would you say that Severus Snape was a nice man? That he would be a good guardian?"

"Objection! Your honor, the defendant just stated that she only knew Severus Snape as a child. How could she speculate his worth as a guardian if she hadn't seen him in decades?" The Head Judge considered the Prosecutor's objection, but then shook her head.

"I'll allow it. Answer the question, Mrs. Dursley." Petunia didn't acknowledge the judge but did as bid.

"He was a nasty boy who was obsessed with my sister. I also know that his father was a dreadful, abusive drunk known all throughout the neighborhood for his cruelty. I'm certain Lily was only friends with him out of pity. Whenever her back was turned he would curse me or play dreadful tricks on me. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Petunia looked Snape dead in the eye when she said her last statement. The defense attorney nodded.

"No further questions." Harry took his father's hand and squeezed it tight, trying to convey his conviction that his Aunt was lying. Severus squeezed back. He knew Petunia was just making up terrible lies to ruin him but it still stung. For many years he had thought the same things she just spewed on the stand.

"The Prosecution calls Madame Poppy Pomfrey to the stand." The small group on the benches sat up a little taller and looked at each other in question, trying to see if any of them knew that Hogwart's nurse would be testifying. It quickly became clear known of them had had a clue.

Madame Pomfrey was escorted into the room by an Auror. She had only just arrived a few minutes ago. The Matron quickly took her spot on the stand and braced herself for the first question.

"Madame Pomfrey, you have been the Matron of the Hogwart's School Hospital Wing for a number of years, correct?" Pomfrey nodded.

"Yes, that is correct." Prosecutor Thornsworth nodded and walked about slowly as he continued to ask questions.

"And you have treated Mr. Potter-Snape a number of times during his schooling at Hogwarts?" Pomfrey nodded again.

"Yes, I have. He was in my Hospital Wing so often he had his own designated bed." Harry's mouth twitched up at the corner, unable to keep himself from smiling a little.

"Would you say he was a clumsy child? Accident prone? I suppose for more clarification, why was he under your care so often?" Madame Pomfrey's stoic expression softened a bit as she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Heaven's no. That child was anything but clumsy, and he was downright graceful when it came to flying. He took a lot of risks on the broom, but most of the time he ended up in my wing because of something someone did to him. It was either that or he was trying to save someone and got hurt doing so." Thornsworth smiled.

"Mr. Potter-Snape was a hero even when he was young, then?" Madame Pomfrey gave a soft smile.

"Yes, he was. I believe he and his friends call it his 'saving people thing.'" Prosecutor Thornsworth continued.

"How would you say he behaved as a child? Was he disrespectful? Unruly?" Madame Pomfrey frowned and shook her head.

"Hardly. Most of his teachers spoke very fondly of him, said he was a good boy and a wonderful student when he was interested in the material. Though…they were often exasperated by the fact that he and his friends kept trying to save people on their own rather than coming to a staff member. He seemed like a typical boy as far as I could tell, but he was burdened by many things. Growing up without his parents weighed on him, and I noticed he would get more upset around the holidays. Then Voldemort became stronger, and Mr. Potter lost friends and his godfather…it was a lot for him to go through." Thornsworth's face grew dramatically saddened and sympathetic.

"What can you tell me about this past school year? Mr. Potter-Snape finally revealed what his home life was like, correct?" Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat and nodded solemnly.

"Yes…he had come in a couple times before…before I finally found out. I noticed he had a fever each time, but it was just that time of year, you know? He's always been a skinny boy, more prone to illness. It honestly wasn't that unusual for him. Then….then-" Madame Pomfrey had to take a moment to compose herself. When she finally did, she recounted that terrible day in the Hospital Wing, when Harry had finally revealed the injury he had been hiding.

Harry tuned Madame Pomfrey out, not wanting to hear it all again. He did hear many shocked gasps and unhappy mutterings from the panel of judges, and it took everything in him not to curl up in a ball and cover his ears.

When the Matron finally finished, her eyes were rimmed in red, and the Prosecutor thanked her before stepping back. The Defense attorney looked down at his desk as though he was gathering his thoughts. When he finally spoke, it shocked Harry out of his safe trance.

"Madame Pomfrey, you say you've treated Mr. Potter-Snape all of his years at Hogwarts, that 'you saw him so often he had his own designated bed.' If that was true…how did you never notice the supposed significant abuse the young man suffered?" Madame Pomfrey did not grow indignant as the small group in the benches expected. Instead she looked down in shame. When she finally looked up, she didn't look at Defense lawyer Madison. She looked right at Harry.

"Actually…I did. I did notice."

* * *

 **I did not intend to go in this direction but Madame Pomfrey had a mind of her own here! XD Hope you enjoy that cliff hanger until 2 weeks from now! You know you love me. ;)**

 **Please review ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

Imprudence: Chapter 7

 **My brain is leaking out of my ears from finals, but I managed to scoop together enough of it to finish another chapter for you! Please see the warnings and enjoy!**

 ****Please keep in mind, I really don't know much about law. All I know comes from the multiple cop shows I watch here in the US. I am probably missing a lot of proper procedure and such. Please be kind and enjoy!**

 ***Warnings: Much angst and cruel Dursleys ahead! Some cruel and homophobic things ahead!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Erased**

 _"Madame Pomfrey, you say you've treated Mr. Potter-Snape all of his years at Hogwarts, that 'you saw him so often he had his own designated bed.' If that was true…how did you never notice the supposed abuse the young man suffered?" Madame Pomfrey did not grow indignant as the small group in the benches expected. Instead she looked down in shame. When she finally looked up, she didn't look at Defense lawyer Madison. She looked right at Harry._

 _"Actually…I did. I did notice."_

You could hear a pin drop in that court room. Clearly _no one_ had expected the answer Madame Pomfrey gave. She didn't stop there though, instead she seemed to plead with Harry for forgiveness.

"I'm so sorry. When I…I received the summons for the trial, I went back through my old records on Harry. I keep a personal notebook to help me process things, and so I can look back and remember what I was thinking at the time. I don't always deal with bumps and bruises. Sometimes I find a child is being abused or have to tell a family that their child committed suicide at school. It's hard, so to help me stay sane I write things down, like a diary I suppose. I was going through my notebook, comparing it to his records and I noticed…a discrepancy." The Defense attorney jumped back in after having been stunned by the unexpected admission.

"A discrepancy? You mean you suspected abuse but didn't report it?" Madame Pomfrey vehemently shook her head.

"No! I-I mean, yes I suspected. I suspected it when I first had to take care of him, after the child ran off with his friends to stop the Sorcerer's Stone from being stolen his first year. He…I wrote in my notebook that the child was far too skinny and small for his age, that there were scars years old and my scans picked up on poorly healed bone fractures all over him. I wrote that I suspected it was his relatives and I was going to go to the Headmaster immediately to tell him my suspicions. Then…it was gone. I never remembered and never suspected it ever again. I didn't even write it in my personal notebooks at a later date. His official records don't show any of my suspicions either: none of the past medical history scans I had run on the boy showed up. I…I'm so sorry." No one knew what to think. No one knew what to make of the whole thing. Well…actually, that is not entirely true.

Severus Snape knew _exactly_ what had happened and he wanted to murder the man responsible. Unfortunately, he already had. To think that the Headmaster would go to such great lengths to keep Snape's boy within blood wards was…it was unspeakable.

Everyone was rattled at the implications of Poppy's testimony, not counting the Dursleys. Most everyone had read the book on Albus Dumbledore that Rita Skeeter had written and were aware that Dumbledore had an informal type of guardianship over Harry. He didn't have any sort of Ministry document declaring his relationship to the boy, but his influence guided others in their decisions. Dumbledore controlled where Harry was and when most of the boy's life simply by suggesting it to certain people with _that_ look in his eyes.

The Head Judge cleared her throat.

"I believe a half hour recess is in order. Guard, please escort Madame Pomfrey to my chambers." The guard simply nodded and kindly helped the Matron down from the stand. Poor Madame Pomfrey was shaking with sobs and could hardly see through her tears. The defendants were left in their restrained positions, but Defense Attorney Madison cast a privacy charm around all three of them so they could speak.

Harry saw his Aunt an Uncle viciously snarling at their Defense lawyer and felt rather sorry for the man. He knew his relatives had blunt fists but sharp tongues.

"Sir…do you really think Dumbledore…?" Hermione's words drew Harry's attention to her, and he turned to his father to see his response. Snape's lips were pursed tightly and his hands were clenched into fists so hard they were shaking.

"Yes, Ms. Granger, I do. I can even tell you _why_ he did it."

" _For the greater good,_ " Severus and Harry spoke together.

"Mate, you doing okay?" Harry took a deep breath and shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't think so. I'm trying not to listen to my relatives too much. Besides, they don't have much to say that I haven't heard before. Madame Pomfrey though…I feel sorry for her. I know she cared about me, and I know she cares a lot for all the students she treats. To have someone she trusted prevent her from helping a child…that must really hurt her. Dumbledore I've more or less just thrown a blanket of forgiveness over him. I don't think of him as a grandfather-figure any more and any familiar like feelings I had for him are essentially non-existent. I…at this point it is more indifference than anything. He's dead. What am I going to do about anything more I learn about him? That Calming Draught from earlier also helped."

Everyone around Harry was both shocked and unsurprised at the same time. They figured Harry would be more upset learning about what Dumbledore had done, but they also knew Harry was wise beyond his years at times and had matured in ways they would never know until moments such as this.

Draco lifted the hand he had linked with Harry's and kissed the back of his Intended's hand. Harry's cheeks pinked and he glared at the Slytherin.

"Way to ruin a serious moment, Ferret." Draco laughed and only kissed Harry's hand again. The Gryffindor rolled his eyes, but the fond smile on his face negated the annoyed gesture.

"If anyone wants to stretch their legs, now would be the time. You'll have to remain in the courtroom, though," Arthur informed them. Harry took the chance to stand, Draco thankfully releasing his hand so he wasn't bent over awkwardly. He wasn't sure where to go from there, but Narcissa stood as well and held out her hand to him.

"Harry, my dear, walk with me, would you?" Harry smiled at her gratefully and took her arm like a proper gentlemen. He was still pretty awkward when it came to girls and women in general, but Narcissa was easy to be around and exuded a motherly aura much like Mrs. Weasley.

They started walking slowly around the stadium seating towards the other end of the courtroom. When they were out of earshot of the others, Lady Malfoy spoke.

"You seem to be holding up remarkably well, young man. Tell me honestly. How are you?" Harry sighed and Narcissa didn't comment on the trembling she could feel in the arm linked with hers.

"I'm…overwhelmed, angry, embarrassed, upset, scared…and it's all just summing together into some strange hollow feeling, almost like I'm numb. I'm sure it will all hit me at the most inconvenient time and I'll have a full meltdown. I thought I'd be a quivering mess around the Dursley's the whole time, but…" Harry looked over at his relatives who were steadfastly ignoring the Defense Attorney and each other. "I just…hearing them talk brings back plenty of bad memories but it also brings back the…I don't know…defense mechanisms, I guess? Whatever I had when I lived with the Dursleys and learned to block them out." Narcissa listened to her son's Intended talk, not interrupting, just offering quiet support.

"That is understandable. Honestly, I'd be more worried if you didn't break down at some point. I agree. It will hit you eventually, but we will all be here for you when it does." Harry was able to give her a soft smile.

"I appreciate that. I really do." The rest of the short walk was spent in silence, not that either of them minded. They eventually made their way back to their seats. Lucius and Severus were talking rather seriously when Narcissa and Harry returned. Lucius wrapped an arm around his wife and Severus tugged Harry into his side, neither of the men pausing in their conversation.

Harry rolled his eyes but allowed it. It made his father feel better and comforted him at the same time, so it was a win-win. Harry turned his head and caught Arthur's attention to ask him a question.

"Is everything going to be alright with Madame Pomfrey? The Head Judge had her "escorted to her chambers." She's…not in trouble is she?" Arthur quickly shook his head.

"Not at all, my boy. The Head Judge, Hazel Femdt, was likely having Madame Pomfrey taken there so she would have a private place to gather herself. Mrs. Femdt is one of the more compassionate panel heads the Ministry has had and does such things regularly." Harry nodded his understanding and released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. The situation as a whole was putting him on edge and maybe making him a little paranoid.

Harry chatted with his friends and Intended about inane things until the Head Judge called the trial back into session. The Defense attorney didn't bother trying to call Madame Pomfrey back to the stand, knowing he wouldn't get much more out of her. Instead, he called Vernon Dursley to the stand.

The large man was hustled over to the testifying chair and promptly shackled in. He snarled at the restraints and tugged at them futilely. The Head Judge pulled out her wand.

"Mr. Dursley, I will be removing the charm I placed on you while you testify. It will be replaced as soon as you are done. Is that clear?" Vernon grit his teeth and nodded his head. With a wave of her wand, the spell was lifted. The first things out of Vernon Dursley's mouth were vile and do not bear repeating. Harry and his family and friends grimaced in disgust.

The Defense Attorney closed his eyes to compose himself as his client dug his own grave even deeper, before plastering on a smile.

"Mr. Dursley, how would you say your nephew was as a child? Your wife said he was disrespectful and ungrateful, and the nurse from his school claimed he was nothing of the sort." Vernon glared at the man.

"That boy was a menace. He brought nothing but pain and suffering on my family and we're still paying for his presence in our lives!" The Defense attorney opened his mouth to ask another question but Vernon kept talking. "We tried to get rid of him! I dropped him off at orphanages all over the place dozens of times, but one of your kind kept dropping him back off! That fool with the long beard! Kept telling us it would keep the freak safe." Another strike against Dumbledore and Harry just couldn't bring himself to care any longer.

He had already put up with the Dursleys for as long as he had to and the Headmaster was dead. No use being angry at a dead man.

"Well…Mr. Dursley, what do you have to say regarding the accusations your nephew has brought against you? Did you beat him?" Vernon glowered and his mustache quivered.

"I gave him a good strapping when he needed it. It's not my fault he needed it often for being such a troublemaker." The Defense lawyer's jaw clenched.

"And this past summer? What happened between your nephew and the neighbor's boy?" Harry's cheeks prematurely pinked, already embarrassed to hear whatever it was his uncle had to say. Meanwhile, Vernon's face turned a frightening shade of purple in his anger.

"That Freak was forcing himself on a respectable young man! He was spreading his ilk like a disease. I did what I had to do to put an end to it, in case he tried to go out and violate some other poor boy!" Harry's stomach churned. He would never-! Draco and Harry's friends and family moved closer to him to give him support. They knew everything Vernon Dursley said was a lie but it was also painful to hear.

"Mr. Dursley, am I correct in believing that you are accusing your nephew of attempted rape?" Harry's ears were ringing, and he couldn't hear whatever it was his father was whispering in his ear. His full attention was on his Uncle's next words.

"Yes, I am. That boy is a Freak and a murderer! And a sodomite to boot! We're lucky he didn't try to go after his cousin like the sick dog he is! All I did was give him a symbol of his perversion for the rest of his days to protect the regular folk he might come in contact with!" Harry's hands were shaking and Severus recognized the look in his face quick enough that he conjured a bucket just in time. Harry promptly lost what little breakfast he had eaten this morning.

The commotion drew the attention of the panel of judges and the Head Judge cast a privacy spell over the stands followed by a silencing spell on Vernon Dursley. The Head Judge motioned for the guards to remove Vernon from the testifying chair and then to escort both defendants from the court room.

"I am calling to adjourn the trial for the rest of the day. We will resume proceedings tomorrow at nine a.m. Prosecutor Thornsworth, inform your client when he is well enough that we are done for the day." The Prosecutor nodded and grimaced as he watched his client tremble and heave into a bucket while his blond Intended rubbed his back. He was a bit concerned for the boy, but his primary concern was how this made his client look to the judges. What if they thought Potter-Snape's weak stomach was due more to guilt than nerves?

To Harry and the others that was the last thing on their minds. They had closed ranks around Harry, and were doing their best to offer their own comfort to the young man. Narcissa was convinced, and rightly so, that this was the beginning of the eventual break down that Harry had mentioned to her earlier.

As Severus and Draco soothed Harry's tremors as best they could on either side of him, the others looked on, their presence the only thing they were able to offer at the moment. Harry couldn't say it at the time, but he was grateful to all of them. Later, when he was told that the trial would continue the next day, he would groan and hope he was strong enough to continue. He also hoped his friends and family would be able to help him pick himself back up when he inevitably fell apart.

* * *

 **I definitely was not planning to portray Dumbledore this way in this story, but I guess my other story (Fickle Fate, check it out!) started influencing this one a bit. Don't worry. It won't be a major plot point or anything.**

 **Please review ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

Imprudence: Chapter 8

 **Finals are done but now I am studying for medical school admissions tests. Fanfiction is the only thing keeping me sane at this point. Enjoy!**

 ****Please keep in mind, I really don't know much about law. All I know comes from the multiple cop shows I watch here in the US. I am probably missing a lot of proper procedure and such. Please be kind and enjoy!**

 ***Warnings: Much angst and cruel Dursleys ahead! Some cruel and homophobic things ahead!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Letters**

Severus was holding Harry up, just barely, and had to practically drag him to the couch. The Calming Draught wore off sometime between when Harry's uncle started to speak and when the Prosecutor told them the trial was done for the day. The Floo flared behind him more than once and he didn't have to turn to know it was Draco and Harry's two best friends.

"Should we get him another Calming Draught, Sir?" Severus opened his mouth to bark the answer at the young mister Weasley but Miss Granger beat him to it.

"Ron, the other one only just wore off. You can't take more than a single dose of Calming Draught over a span of five hours. Too much could put Harry in a coma." Ron looked horrified, and Draco would have snorted in amusement if he wasn't so concerned about Harry. His Intended was lying on the couch, an arm thrown over his eyes and his glasses thrown haphazardly on the coffee table.

The trembling young man was trying to calm his breathing down. Harry could feel his magic prodding at the cracks in his psyche and in the next moment he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Sorry," he managed to get out before his magic lashed out and shattered a few plates one room over. Harry's jaw and fists clenched as he tried to reign it back in. Suddenly, something small and furry jumped on his chest right over his racing heart.

 _"Meow?"_ Harry lifted his arm and found himself staring into Shane's bright eyes. The kitten tilted his head at Harry and then reached out and lightly smacked him on the nose. Harry blinked, stunned for a moment at this odd creature, and when came back to himself he realized his magic was back under tight control. The young man huffed a very weak laugh.

"You are a miracle worker, Shane. Thanks." The kitten looked incredibly smug which made Harry smile again. Draco kneeled by Harry's head and ran his fingers through the boy's unruly hair.

"Are you feeling better, Harry?" Harry turned his head into Draco's touch, closed his eyes and hummed.

"A bit, yeah," he whispered. "I feel exhausted but too scared and jittery to sleep at the same time. I just know I'm going to have nightmares about this." Draco could only 'hmm' his understanding. Severus stepped forward with tea he had summoned from the kitchen. The noise of the cups being set down caused Harry to open his eyes. The Gryffindor smiled at his father and sat up with Draco's help, keeping a hold of Shane so the kitten wouldn't fall.

"Though you have every reason to be tired right now, Harry, I would recommend you try _not_ to fall asleep until this evening. It is only just lunch time and I fear you would have an even harder time falling asleep tonight if you slept now. I would also like to hold off on using Dreamless Sleep until absolutely necessary." Harry nodded, knowing his dad was referring to the addictive properties of Dreamless Sleep. If Harry started using it now, when the trial was only starting, he could start wanting it every night when the trial brought up more bad memories.

The five of them fell into a comfortable silence, Draco and Severus sitting on either side of Harry. Eventually, Draco broke the silence but only with talk of the progress his parents had made with Harry's charity and orphanage. Harry was happy for the distraction and smiled at his Intended while Shane nibbled on the tips of the Gryffindor's fingers.

The conversation easily flowed from Draco's work with Severus, to what Hermione and Ron were up to and Harry was happy to just listen. Hermione was halfway through discussing her thoughts on a recently released restitution law when a house elf popped into the room.

"Mipsy has letters for Master Potter-Snape!" The female house elf bounced excitedly towards them and handed Harry his letters. Harry smiled and thanked her. Mipsy squealed in delight before popping out of the room.

As the Gryffindor looked at his stack of mail he found that it wasn't a stack of multiple letters but one letter with a number of pages attached. The postmark said it was from his mentor at the hospital. With a frown and furrowed brow, Harry opened the letter. By the end of it he was smiling. Knowing his father, Intended and friends were patiently waiting for an explanation, Harry spoke.

"Healer Jason sent well wishes and a distraction. This is a stack of old patients records, personal information removed, of course. They've already been solved but he wants me to look through them and send him my thoughts on potential diagnoses." Severus waved his wand to banish the now empty tea-cups into the kitchen.

"Sounds like a worth-while distraction. Draco, while your company is much appreciated, I am sure your parents would like to speak with you. Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, the same with you." The blond Slytherin and others looked reluctant to leave but they did nod in agreement. Draco kissed Harry on the head and nodded to his godfather before flooing back home. Hermione nearly suffocated Harry with a hug, and the bespectacled Gryffindor was a little surprised when Ron did the same, before they both left.

Once everyone was gone, Harry summoned a quill and ink well with a wave of his hand, and Severus smiled. His son had come a long way in his wandless and silent magic and he was quite proud. He went to the kitchen and was pleased to find that a house elf had dropped off a plate of finger sandwiches and scones for the two of them. Snape took the plate into the sitting room and set it near Harry, hoping the boy would eat a few of them as he worked.

Harry was soon wrapped up in the cases he was sent. There were spaces on the paper for him to make observations or notes, and if he was correct a new clue or note would appear to help him along. Once he wrote a diagnosis at the end of the parchment the whole case would disappear, supposedly back to Healer Jason. Harry raised his eyebrows the first time it happened before he smiled. _I love magic,_ he thought.

The Healer-in-Training worked through four cases, before coming across one near the end of the pile. The case was about a young girl brought in who had collapsed. The situation was presented as follows: "The Healers noted the typical bumps of Dragon Pox and the parents had told them that she returned from a play date with it. The father had run to the apothecary in their village and grabbed the only bottle they had in stock. At first it seemed to work and the child got better, but then the little girl suddenly fainted.

The first Healer that saw the child assured the parents all was well, and that the little girl simply had an outdated Dragon Pox potion. It is well-known in the Healer community that outdated Dragon Pox potions can tire out a sick child and sometimes the exhaustion can come on suddenly. They don't know exactly what does it, but some speculate it is the green salamander skin used, a common ingredient in sleep aids, an ingredient that gets more potent over time.

To remedy the situation, the Healer decided to let her rest and administer fresh Dragon Pox potion, which should have cured her of most of the disease while she was asleep. However, not soon after the fresh potion was administered, the young girl's mild fever spiked dangerously."

That was where the record stopped. The case was shorter than the others and less detailed, which seemed a bit odd, but Harry just assumed the shorter length meant there simply wasn't that much to tell.

Meanwhile, Severus was glancing up from his book to look at his son every so often as the young man continued to work. The Potion's Master silently cheered whenever Harry unthinkingly picked up a sandwich or scone and ate it. It was great to see that Harry was so devoted to his work of becoming a Healer that it was able to distract him from the trial and his nerves. At one point Snape got fully absorbed in his book during a chapter on the innovative uses of cinnamon. He was brought out of his reading-trance by his son calling for him.

"Hey, Severus? Severus? Severus! Sev!" Snape shook his head and looked at his son.

"I'm sorry. What is it?" Harry smirked at his father and rolled his eyes in a fond manner.

"I just wanted to ask you something. The standard Dragon Pox potion contains passion flower petals, correct?" Snape raised a brow at his son, silently pleased that his potions lessons apparently stuck with Harry.

"Yes, it is one of the typical ingredients used in that potion. Cheap apothecaries have been known to replace it with valerian root, because they _think_ it doesn't affect the potion's effectiveness. The only reason they are able to get away with it is because there haven't been enough studies to prove that the root affects it. However, _I_ know that the two plants have adverse effects on a person when taken together. There's a reason they aren't used together in potions meant for human consumption." Harry nodded at the new information, his brow furrowing.

He wrote down his thoughts on the parchment. Oddly enough when Harry wrote down his ideas on what the problem was the parchment simply disappeared. No new information was presented, so he didn't know if he was correct. Harry shrugged it off and turned his attention to the last couple of cases.

When Harry finished his work and the last case was gone, he stretched his arms above his head and fell back against the couch. He let out a tired sigh and rubbed at his eyes under his glasses. Harry didn't bother opening his eyes when he heard his father snort in amusement.

"And you would make fun of me for being tired after grading reports for hours." Harry huffed, knowing his dad was only teasing. Yes, he had called his dad old when he saw the man falling asleep in his chair after an afternoon of grading. However, they both knew that Harry's day had been a lot more draining than a quiet afternoon of desk work.

Severus let his son rest quietly for a few minutes while he finished reading his latest chapter. When he was done, he closed his book and set in on the coffee table between them. Snape stood and gently shook Harry's shoulder. Harry's face scrunched up in displeasure and he tried to wave his father off. Severus couldn't help but smile at the image.

"Harry, remember what I said about sleeping before tonight. I'll make a deal with you. If you eat a light supper with a nutrient potion, I'll let you go to bed early." Harry sighed, opened his eyes and looked at his father suspiciously.

"You'll let me go to bed, no questions asked?" Severus nodded solemnly, finding this whole scenario oddly amusing. Harry eyed him for another couple of seconds before grunting in agreement and nodding. "Alright." The younger wizard practically pouted as he finally caught his dad trying his hardest not to laugh. "What's so funny?"

Snape stopped trying to hide his amusement and gave his son a rare, full smile.

"You are finally acting like the five year old I always accuse you of being and I find it amusing. Now, come on. Help me restock my ingredients stores then we'll have supper and you can go to sleep." Harry scowled even as he got up to help his dad.

"You didn't say anything about restocking your nasty closet," he muttered. Snape barked out a laugh at the petulance in his son's voice and then sobered when he was suddenly reminded that only two years ago he would have severely punished Harry for using such a tone. Oh, how things had changed.

Working together, the task didn't take them a terribly long time, and when they were finished it was close enough to their usual dinner time that Severus was satisfied. Snape called for dinner from the school's house elves, neither of them being up for cooking that night, and the two of them walked into the dining room. Harry, who had been almost dead on his feet, perked up upon seeing two letters waiting for him by his seat.

They sat down and Severus began filling up both of their plates while Harry checked out the letters. The first was from Healer Jason, which he thought odd. He had only finished the practice reports a little while ago.

Snape was concerned when his son gasped while reading one of his letters. The boy looked absolutely shocked, his mouth hanging open like a dead fish. He saw Harry read through the letter three times before he looked up and addressed him.

"That…that potion's ingredient I asked you about…" Severus raised a brow.

"Yes? Well, what is it?" Harry's mouth opened and closed again before the corner curled up and his expression turned from shock to amazement.

"It…there was a case Healer Jason sent…a young girl collapsed suddenly and was given fresh Dragon Pox potion at the hospital. Her fever spiked to a dangerous level. It…it wasn't just a practice case. The girl was brought in _today_ and Healer Jason sent the notes to me to see if I could offer insight. He…he hid it in with the practice cases so I wouldn't get distracted by the weight of the case. He says my notes helped save the girl's life." Snape found himself as stunned as his son had been moments ago.

He gave Harry a warm smile.

"I'm glad to hear that. It seems that you have chosen the right profession." Harry's cheeks pinked a bit.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without you. You're the one who knew that the two ingredients cause problems for people and how valerian root sometimes gets substituted into the potion." Severus shook his head as he handed over a nutrient potion.

"Do not give me so much credit. You knew to ask the right questions, and you would have gotten there eventually without my help." Harry smiled even brighter at the praise and downed the nutrient potion as he picked up the second letter. His brow furrowed as it only had his name on the front and no distinctive wax seal that a lot of wizard's were fond of.

In fact…the envelope looked distinctly…Muggle. Harry's stomach swooped for a moment, as he quickly opened the letter. The note itself was short but enough to make Harry feel sick.

 _I still love you…_

* * *

 **BUM BUM BUUUUUUMMMM! I wonder where this will lead...bwahahahahaha!**

 **Please review ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

Imprudence: Chapter 9

 **Huzzah! The weekend! And this sun is finally out! And I refuse to go outside! XD**

 ****Please keep in mind, I really don't know much about law. All I know comes from the multiple cop shows I watch here in the US. I am probably missing a lot of proper procedure and such. Please be kind and enjoy!**

 ***Warnings: Much angst and cruel Dursleys ahead! Some cruel and homophobic things ahead!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Advice**

Severus was very concerned when his son opened the second letter and lost all color in his cheeks. Snape had looked down to scoop some food onto his fork but as he chewed his first bite, he looked up and lost his appetite. His son looked terrified. Swallowing quickly, Snape called to his son.

"Harry, what is it? What's wrong?" Harry, who was still staring at the short letter in his hands, started to say his typical response: _It's nothing_. Right when the words were about to leave his mouth, however, he stopped them. For the past year or so his family and friends had been trying to hammer at least one major idea into his head: he didn't have to do things alone. Maybe…maybe this was where he could show them he was starting to believe them.

"This…this note is from D-David." Severus couldn't have stopped the surge of rage building up in his chest if he tried. That worthless Muggle boy was contacting his son again? Snape tried to take a few calming breaths so he could control his tone when he spoke to Harry. He didn't want his son to think the anger was directed at him.

"Are you certain? What does it say?" Harry didn't answer him right away, and instead held the letter out for his father to take, the young man's hands shaking.

"It's the same kind of envelopes he used before…and that's his handwriting," Harry murmured. Severus could see why the note distressed his son. Harry had made it very clear in his last correspondence with the other boy that Harry was happy and had moved on and that he wanted to cut all ties with this David. This note told them both that David did not think the same way. Snape was still staring at the letter when he suddenly heard a fork viciously hitting the plate across from him.

Looking up, he saw Harry had gone from shock and horror to anger. His son was stabbing the food on his plate and chewing and swallowing mere moments after each other.

"Harry, slow down. You are going to make yourself sick." Harry dropped the fork next to his plate and breathed out harshly through his nose. Severus set the letter aside and reached across to grab Harry's wrist. "Talk to me. What's going through your head right now?" Harry huffed and a bitter smile grew on his face.

"What? You can't tell with your Legilimency?" Both men winced as soon as the words were out and Harry deflated while Severus tensed. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." They had talked about the Legilimency lessons from fifth year months ago during one of their many scheduled dinners. Snape still felt bad about it and never used Legilimency on his son ever again after that one time it was needed in the Hospital Wing when Harry had been rescued.

"I…I am so angry at him right now. He…I told him we were done and I didn't want to hear from him any more and he decides _now_ he doesn't want to listen? Well…" Harry scowled as he searched for a good way to address his anger. "Well screw him! I'm done letting him ruin my life. I have you and Draco and my friends and the Weasleys and a damn good life! He doesn't get to be a part of it." Severus was running his thumb back and forth across Harry's wrist in a comforting gesture.

"You are correct, Harry. You have me and Draco and everyone else. He won't hurt you again and he won't ruin your life. I'll see about getting the wards adjusted and warn the house elves so his letters can't get through should he try to send anymore." Harry nodded sharply, his breathing starting to slow down. Severus retracted his hand and the corner of his mouth lifted upward. "Also, congratulations on getting angry and controlling your magic." Harry furrowed his brow and then realized what Severus meant. He huffed again, rubbing his temples and closing his eyes.

"Yeah, well. I had a good teacher." That made Severus smile more fully and forget about the Legilimency comment. After a few quiet moments, Harry opened his eyes and looked at his father before making a tentative request. "Can we…can we not tell Draco or anybody about this yet? I just…I don't want it to become an issue if we can handle it ourselves. Draco's worried about me enough already with the trial and I don't want to pile this on top if we don't have to." Severus' lips pursed as he considered.

He didn't like the idea of keeping something like this from his godson, also his son's Intended. However, Severus also knew that it was a big step in the right direction with Harry: telling _him_ at all. His son hadn't tried to keep this from him and deal with it alone. Snape didn't want to discourage such behavior by forcing Harry to involve everyone as soon as his son allowed himself to trust Severus with something like this.

"We…do not have to tell Draco right away. If this gets worse, if David escalates, however, I will want to at least bring Lucius into this. I understand why you want to keep this just between us for now, Harry, but I would encourage you to speak with Draco at some point. It would be best that he hear about this from you than find out from some other source later on." Harry grimaced as he remembered what happened during their last school year, when Theo Nott had given Draco a rough draft of a letter Harry had been writing to David. He hadn't been conscious for Draco's initial reaction and confrontation with Severus, but Draco had told him about it later.

"Yeah…alright. Thank you." Severus gave his son a comforting smile and they both quietly turned back to the meal. Harry picked at his food, his appetite having abandoned him, before Severus was able to encourage him to eat a little bit more.

Finally, they both gave up on eating and Snape let Harry escape to his room. Harry laid down on his bed, stared up at the ceiling…and didn't fall asleep for a long time.

* * *

When Harry woke up the next morning it was with a headache already starting to bloom behind his eyes. He groaned and rubbed at his temples in hopes of staving it off. Knowing he wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep, Harry slowly sat up and let himself get used to being upright for a few moments before standing.

With a wave of his hand clothes flew out of the wardrobe and hit him square in the face…Harry sighed.

"Gonna have to work on that," he muttered. Some things he found he could do with ease and barely a thought when it came to his wandless, non-verbal magic. Other tasks proved more difficult to control, such as calling out clothes for the day, and there was no pattern as to which tasks these were.

Harry did not dwell on it that morning though, and shuffled his way into the bathroom for a shower. The hot steam allowed him to relax his muscles some which in turn helped his headache. With the distracting pain now lessened, however, his mind wandered back to the letter he had received the night before. A small part of him was scared. He had got glimpses here and there of his Aunt Petunias murder mysteries, where the lead girl had an obsessive admirer who eventually tried to kill her. Harry didn't feel he looked nice enough to garner that kind of attention the ladies in the movies got, but the letter brought those unnerving stories to mind.

A big part of him was angry. He was happy with Draco. He had long gotten over David. Yes, when he thought about how his summer was before the "Incident" as he called it there were fond memories of David. The other boy had gotten Harry to open up about parts of himself that even Harry was unaware about. Harry had felt free and exhilarated and _wanted_ when they kissed. The "Incident" tarnished all of those memories however, and they didn't shine as brightly in his mind as they used to.

Instead, his moments with Draco outshone them by a thousand. Not to mention, it would have been wishful thinking to assume that he and David could make it work. A muggle and the Savior of the Wizarding World capable of holding on to a summer romance? Harry knew he needed someone who was fully aware of who he was from the start and could accept him for all of that.

Clearly David couldn't even accept the part of Harry that loved him with the way the boy snuck around with him, away from all prying eyes.

Harry lashed out for a moment and slammed the side of his fist into the shower wall. The dull pain was hardly enough to cast the thoughts from his mind but it felt better than losing control of his magic.

The young man eventually got out of the shower and got dressed, towel drying his hair. He walked out into the living space as he was buttoning the second to last button on his shirt and it took him a moment to realize that the fire was low. With a furrowed brow Harry looked at the clock above the fireplace and groaned. It was only four thirty in the morning. Harry collapsed into an arm chair and decided it was going to be a bad day.

"Harry? What are you doing up so early? And you're dressed…" Harry looked up to see his father walking into the room, confused and with dark circles prominent under his eyes.

"Sorry if I woke you. I…woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. Figured I'd just go ahead and get ready for the day, but I didn't bother to check the clock." Severus snorted and took a seat across from Harry.

"Clearly. I'm sorry you had trouble sleeping. I'd be willing to give you a Sleeping Draught but those guarantee eight hours of sleep. At this point there would be no use." Harry nodded tiredly.

The two men sat together quietly, Severus not admitting that his own nightmares had been what caused him to come out the living room. Harry had not woken him up.

Only fifteen minutes had passed when a sleepy house elf suddenly popped into the room, managing to startle both men. Severus' jolt was far less noticeable than Harry's but still present.

"Mipsy has…*yawn*…Mipsy has letter for Master H-Harry." The little elf held out a letter to the young man and he took it, thanking her graciously. The elf smiled at him before snapping her fingers and disappearing once more, no doubt to sleep.

Thankfully the letter was not a Muggle envelope and had definitely not come from David. Harry didn't know what he would do if another one had come from the boy so soon and at such a vulnerable hour of the morning. Still, it was quite odd to be receiving mail at this time.

Harry understood slightly once he realized the letter was from his friend Luna. The blonde Ravenclaw had never cared much for the 'normal' way to do things. The young wizard opened the letter, honestly having no idea what his friend would want to tell him at this time of day.

" _Harry,_

 _Though I'm sure you already know, I wanted to tell you for assurance that Daddy and I are behind you one hundred percent. None of your personal struggles and life has ended up in our paper. I knew you needed some encouragement right now, especially since you're not sleeping…"_

Here Harry paused. How did Luna…? Shaking his head, Harry continued.

" _You will get through this, Harry Potter. I have the utmost faith in you. I also want you to remember that you are worth loving, but not all love is real. He may think he loves you, Harry, but you know the truth. And don't worry. I'm not talking about Draco. That boy definitely loves you. I'm talking about the dreadful one you met over the summer._

 _Be careful, Harry. I get an awful feeling whenever I think of him. He just feels like someone even the Nargels would avoid. Stay strong and be both a Gryffindor and a Slytherin._

 _Oh! And it would be best if you wore Gryffindor colors today._

 _Love,_

 _Luna~"_

Harry was understandably shaken by the letter, but he was also intrigued, curious and a little amused. When Harry had finally told Neville and Luna what had happened last summer and brought them up to speed on his Courtship with Draco, he had been a bit surprised, but pleasantly so, by their reactions.

Neville had gotten spitting mad. He looked ready to bring the sword of Gryffindor to Little Whinging and have it out with Harry's relatives and David. Luna had calmed her boyfriend down before skipping up to Harry and giving him a gentle but no less comforting hug. As she pulled back she kissed him on the cheek and told him that she would gladly send the garden gnomes after David and the Dursleys if he wanted her too.

It made Harry laugh at the time, picturing Luna leading an army of garden gnomes against a dreadfully drab Muggle neighborhood. Remembering again made Harry smile despite his current exhaustion and conflicting feelings.

After a few moments, Harry looked down at his shirt, noticing it was a navy blue color. Making up his mind, he set the letter down and got up out of his chair. Severus furrowed his brow.

"Where are you going?" Harry smirked to himself and called over his shoulder,

"I'm going to get changed."

* * *

 **I like Luna. :) Have a nice afternoon!**

 **Please review ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

Imprudence: Chapter 10

 **Why is summer break already close to halfway over! So sad!**

 ****Please keep in mind, I really don't know much about law. All I know comes from the multiple cop shows I watch here in the US. I am probably missing a lot of proper procedure and such. Please be kind and enjoy!**

 ***Warnings: Much angst and cruel Dursleys ahead! Some cruel and homophobic things ahead!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **More Testimonies**

Arriving at the Ministry was as anticlimactic as the first time. Auror Winthrop and Arthur Weasley greeted them again and all four of them started to go inside. The back of Harry's neck tingled as if someone was watching him, but he shook off the feeling. Being the Boy-Who-Lived made him used to the sensation, and he didn't think much of it.

Again, Draco and Lucius joined them in the court room. Narcissa unfortunately, could not join them because she had a meeting regarding the orphanage that she could not miss. However, she sent her love along with her husband and son. Draco greeted Harry with a kiss to the back of the Gryffindor's hand, and Harry couldn't stop his smile if he tried. _See, David. I've moved on and I'm happy now,_ Harry thought.

The young Slytherin raised a brow at Harry's ensemble. His Intended was wearing a Gryffindor red button up with gold lion cufflinks that Draco knew were from the Potter vault. It wasn't as if Harry was wearing a Lion Head but it was clear enough he was showing off his Gryffindor roots.

"Not that it bothers me, but is there a reason for the wardrobe choice today?" Harry smiled at Draco and shrugged.

"I just got some advice early this morning." When Draco continued to look at him expectantly, Harry just shrugged again and said, "Luna." Draco suddenly nodded in understanding. Every so often one of the Golden Trio, and even Draco once, would receive a letter from Luna Lovegood. They were always interesting and always had some sort of advice for the day. Knowing their friend's inclination towards the "Sight" led even the skeptical Granger to heed her advice.

Both Harry and Draco's attention was taken up when the panel of judges filed into the room and the Dursleys were dragged in much like the previous day. The defendants looked more haggard and worn but also meaner, if it was possible. The two attorneys seemed more determined than yesterday to proceed with the trial. Harry knew his lawyer was hoping to make another grand spectacle while the defense attorney was going to be flinging mud with stones hidden in the muck. The Gryffindor took a deep breath and ran his thumb over James Potter's cufflinks.

The Head Judge nodded to everyone before seating herself.

"Prosecutor Thornsworth, you have the floor." The Prosecutor nodded graciously before turning to actually look at the stands where they were all seated.

"Thank you, Judge Femdt. The Prosecution calls Severus Snape to the stand." Severus didn't show the slight surprise he was feeling. He knew he was going to be called to testify at some point but he hadn't thought it would be so soon. With an encouraging smile at his son, Severus left the stands and sat in the testifying chair. As soon as he was seated the Prosecutor began.

"Professor Snape, you were stated as a legal guardian of Harry Potter-Snape in the will of Lily Potter nee Evans should anything happen to both of Mr. Potter-Snape's biological parents, correct?" Snape knew the questions were "necessary" but he just barely refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Correct," he drawled in his usual professor tone. Thornsworth nodded.

"And were you aware of this distinction prior to the Potter's untimely death and the hands of the Dark Lord?" Severus shook his head.

"I was not." Thornsworth walked back to his table and made a show of looking at the papers on his designated desk.

"How were you made aware of your new guardianship and why did you not take custody of the Boy-Who-Lived? Surely you would want to take care of the son of your childhood best friend." Severus had to take a deep breath and hold back a sneer.

"Albus Dumbledore informed me of Lily's request some time after their death, but at the time he became aware of the knowledge he had already placed _Harry_ with his Muggle relatives." Severus emphasized his son's name to keep everyone's focus on the fact that Harry was not just the Savior of the Wizarding World but a young man who deserved to be recognized for his own worth instead of a title. "I was also in a precarious position as a new spy for the Light and rising in the ranks of the Dark Lord. We both agreed it would be safer for Harry to live in the Muggle world, hidden from our own and away from someone who could potentially be discovered and killed at any moment. I will admit…I did not fight for custody as hard as I should have. I was still a bitter young man who saw Harry as the son of not my best friend but of my worst enemy, James Potter."

At this point, Severus finally looked over to his son and made eye contact. Harry smiled at him with understanding, and Severus felt his shame crumble. He knew his son had forgiven him but it was much harder to forgive himself.

"So both yourself and Albus Dumbledore, Leader of the Light, believed he would be safe with his blood relatives. That seems an easy assumption to make. Tell me, what was your relationship like with Mr. Potter-Snape before the end of the war?" Here Severus knew he would get the most grief from the Defense so he had to prepare himself.

"It was necessarily harsh. I was essentially the left hand man of the Dark Lord and the Head of House for the children of a number of the Dark Lord's followers. If they knew or even suspected I was being remotely kind to the young man who had defeated their Lord, I would have been killed in an instant. I am ashamed to say that it was easy for me to act the part as I drew on my hatred for James Potter, and Harry's resemblance to the man did the rest. The boy's behavior seemed to me to be brash, disrespectful and arrogant. It took me a long time to realize that most of it was my own projections of his father's past actions and the rest was due to his natural distrust of authority figures." Thornsworth put on a semi-believable sympathetic expression.

"I assume your relationship with Mr. Potter-Snape significantly improved. You did, after all, take over his guardianship a year ago and adopt him just over six months ago. How did this change occur, Professor Snape?" Severus took a moment to collect his thoughts before explaining.

"I kept watch over Harry and his two friends, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger, when they were hunting for ways to destroy Voldemort. I tried to aid them when I could but it was not often. Through this peek into their lives on the run I was able to get a glimpse of the young man Harry truly was: one who would do anything for his friends, one with a boundless bravery and one who was exceedingly humble and kind for all the world threw at him. When the war finally ended I woke in St. Mungo's, severely injured by Voldemort's serpent. I had promised myself during the year leading up to the Battle of Hogwarts that should we both survive, I would honor my friendship with Lily and honor her wish for me to be her son's guardian. Not long after I woke, however, Aurors came into my rooms and told me that I had been declared temporarily unfit to be Harry's guardian, and that the boy would be placed with a temporary magical guardian until I was well enough…"

From there Severus recounted the relevant parts of Harry's eighth year: how they grew closer, when he eventually revealed his guardianship status, how they reconciled, how they dealt with the rogue community in the Ministry trying to separate them, and eventually when he came to the decision to adopt Harry.

"It sounds like you and your son have come a long way and now truly care about each other," Prosecutor Thornsworth said followed by a smile.

"Yes. We have and we do."

"As Harry Potter-Snape's guardian, it would have been well within your right to pursue charges against his relatives. Tell me, why didn't you?" Snape ground his teeth together and raised a brow at the prosecutor. He didn't want to necessarily make his son's legal advocate look a fool…but then again, the man was doing it himself.

"Once Harry's home life was revealed to me and who his "temporary magical guardian" was, I was livid. I fully intended to eventually press charges against the Dursleys for child abuse and kidnapping, amongst other things. I intended to include Harry in the planning so he would be prepared for the event. Unfortunately, the matter was taken out of my hands." Thornsworth's eye twitched as he tried not to flinch back under Snape's impressive glare. The man had been trying to head off such a question from the defense but practically got reprimanded instead. He quickly cleared his throat and composed himself.

"No further questions." Judge Femdt motioned for the defense attorney to proceed. The Dursley's defense stepped forward.

"Professor Snape, tell me why you did not question the Aurors when they told you that your guardianship was temporarily revoked? Also, why did you wait to reveal to your adopted son that you were in fact his guardian?" Snape kept a composed expression on his face as he answered.

"When I was approached by the Aurors I had only just awoken from a very strong line of healing potions and spells. My observation skills were not up to par at that point. I also knew our Ministry would be rather shaky following the end of the war and I knew tensions would still be high. If I tried to fight at that point, I knew I would lose and potentially have my guardianship permanently revoked. As for not telling Harry…I reluctantly admit I was scared. At first I was scared to be his guardian, as I saw myself as a harsh, cold man who had no business raising a child, especially one as independent as Harry. Despite that fear I initiated contact with him and we began a series of dinners, over which we spoke a lot and got closer. When we got closer I began to fear that if I told him, he would be mad at me for lying and betraying his trust and that he would reject me. I had come to truly care for him after a month or so and I did not want to lose him." Defense attorney Madison frowned and began walking back towards his table where he picked up a folder.

"You say you saw yourself as unfit to raise a child because of your cold demeanor. Could it also be because you have a temper, that you worried you would start abusing him like you were abused by your own father? The defense would like to enter into evidence Severus Snape's disciplinary record from his time at Hogwarts." The Attorney handed the folder over to Judge Femdt and the Prosecutor looked outraged. "It seems, Mr. Snape, that you got into a lot of scraps as a student, primarily involving James Potter and Sirius Black. Everyone can see your son's resemblance to his biological father. How do we know your anger at James Potter, that you say you drew from to treat Harry Potter-Snape harshly in class, didn't boil over into say…physical abuse?"

Though they had all been expecting the question, the party in the stands could not contain their hisses of displeasure. Harry's jaw clenched tightly and he glared at the defense attorney's back, as Judge Femdt called for silence. Severus wanted to rage at the man for how dare he accuse him of ever striking his son in anger. However, the Potions Master held back his rage and settled for aiming a death glare at the attorney. The man barely twitched.

"I have never and will _never_ strike my son or any other child in anger. As you have said, I was abused by my father when I myself was a child. I despised the man for what he did to me and vowed to never become like him. I also, as you say, have a temper, but everyone has a temper. That school record you flounce about clearly states that James Potter and Sirius Black instigated nearly every incident, despite their lack of punishment. Most of the time I was merely defending myself or retaliating after a particularly vicious "prank." None of that points to someone who would abuse their ward, only someone who has been hurt his entire life and has a temper. Besides, I wanted to bring charges against the Dursleys, fully knowing that their defense would likely try and attack me and blame me for the abuse Harry suffered." The Defense attorney shrugged and shook his head.

"How do we know you didn't want to bring the Dursleys up on charges to make yourself look good and less suspicious? How do we know that you haven't intimidated Mr. Potter-Snape into accusing them of hurting him when it was really you?" Severus snarled.

"Because I haven't and unlike your clients I am perfectly willing to take Veritaserum and prove it to everyone here." Attorney Madison put his hands in his pockets and gave Severus a smile.

"That won't be necessary. No further questions." Snape's mouth snapped shut in shock. He couldn't believe that the man was done already. He had barely…Severus' rage cracked like a whip in his chest. He let himself get wound up and show his anger, only bolstering the defense's argument. Though he was innocent of what the attorney accused him of, any of the judges in the panel that have a grudge against him or were skeptical of this whole trial would see Snape's anger on the stand as proof that he had likely hurt Harry as well.

He stood from the stand when bid, the Prosecutor did not want to cross examine again, and walked back to the proscenium seating. Severus sat down next to Harry and laid an arm over the boy's shoulder. Harry leaned into him for comfort (for both of them) and whispered reassurances into his ear. The respite from the trial was only for a moment, however, as someone else was now called to the stand.

"Draco Malfoy, please come forward."

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 **This chapter flew by for me...and then my inspiration to write disappeared. Fingers crossed it comes back soon!**

 **Please review ;)**


	11. Chapter 11

Imprudence: Chapter 11

 **Using fan fiction to escape the stress of applying to medical school...yeah...that sounds productive...:/**

 ****Please keep in mind, I really don't know much about law. All I know comes from the multiple cop shows I watch here in the US. I am probably missing a lot of proper procedure and such. Please be kind and enjoy!**

 ***Warnings: Much angst and cruel Dursleys ahead! Some cruel and homophobic things ahead!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Harry Potter Testimony Part 1**

No one had been expecting the Prosecutor to call Draco to the stand, but the man must have changed his plan when Harry didn't take his "advice" to leave behind his 'Beau'. Harry kissed the back of Draco's hand, like the blond had been doing to him for weeks now, before his Intended approached the stand with his head held high.

Draco took his seat with the grace of a Malfoy and refused to show any fear or feelings of intimidation. The Prosecutor started in immediately.

"Mr. Malfoy, what can you tell us of your relationship with Mr. Potter-Snape?" Draco couldn't help the small smile on his face.

"Harry and I are formally Courting, with myself as the instigator. He is my Intended and I am his." The Prosecutor nodded.

"And would you say that your relationship is happy? You two are content with each other?" Draco nodded easily.

"Absolutely. We are very happy with each other and more than content." Draco was starting to wonder where the man was going with this, but the Prosecutor answered his thoughts in the next moment.

"During your time with Mr. Potter-Snape, did he ever confide in you what his life with the Dursleys was like?" Draco's lips pursed and he felt uncomfortable discussing Harry's personal life in front of so many strangers, though he knew he was obligated to answer.

"Harry never really brought it up, and I didn't press him for details. I knew he lived with Muggles for most of his life, but that was all I was aware of. I was in the Hospital Wing the day everything was…revealed, I guess you could say. We met later to discuss everything and he fully explained to me all that had happened to him the previous summer. He hadn't told me before, because…" Draco glanced at Harry and his Intended, though looking more pale than usual, nodded telling him it was okay to continue. "Because he did not know that it was acceptable for men to be in a relationship. His Muggle relatives had been very verbal and even physical in their demonstration of hate for same-sex couples and Harry feared that the Wizarding World was of the same mentality. Then when he found out that it was perfectly acceptable here, Harry was afraid that if I knew then I wouldn't want to continue our Courtship."

"But clearly you have continued your relationship." It wasn't a question from Prosecutor Thornsworth, but Draco responded anyway.

"Yes, we did continue our relationship." Draco couldn't help but feel this trial was rather tedious and repetitive but he knew it would be worth it if Harry's dreadful relatives would get what they deserved.

"During your time with your Intended," everyone heard the dulled, 'unhappy' tone with which the Prosecutor said 'Intended' and it rankled Harry's family and friends, as well as the couple. "what did you observe of his relationship with his guardian? Was it a healthy relationship or did you suspect some form of abuse between the two?" Draco was quick to deny any abuse between Harry and Severus.

"It was a bit slow and awkward at first, but I know more than most the kind of role Severus had to play during the War. They eventually moved past the past, so to speak, and what I saw was a very caring, father-son relationship. I can say with absolute certainty that Severus has never and will never abuse Harry." The Prosecutor seemed satisfied with the answer and let Draco know he only had one more question for him.

"Why did you seek to start a Courtship with Mr. Potter-Snape? Surely that seems to be a very serious commitment for two men who haven't even reached adulthood?" Draco knew that a lot of people thought that he had initiated the Courtship with Harry to gain favor and raise the status of the Malfoy family name by dating the Saviour of the Wizarding World. A few of the judges visibly leaned forward as if it would help them analyze his response better.

"To be honest, I've had a crush on Harry since our First Year at Hogwarts, but I couldn't act on it. The crush didn't dissipate and only grew stronger over the years and when I was finally free to be myself, I took the chance. There was no nefarious plot behind my actions. I know Courtship is a very serious matter, but so are my feelings for Harry." Draco had to bite back a pleased smirk when he saw that his answer had caused Harry's cheeks to pink and clash with his Gryffindor colored shirt.

Finally, the Prosecutor relented and the Defense stood to take his turn.

"Mr. Malfoy, what is your relationship with Professor Snape?" Draco had hoped the man wouldn't hone in on that, but it had been a fleeting hope anyway.

"Professor Snape is my godfather." The Defense nodded at the expected answer.

"So he's essentially family? You would be willing to lie for him or cover-up something he'd done?" Draco shook his head, knowing his godfather would completely understand.

"No, I would not, especially not if it would hurt someone I cared about." Attorney Madison lifted an eyebrow.

"I find that hard to believe, Mr. Malfoy, especially given your status as an ex-Death Eater. You said that there was no nefarious plot behind your decision to Court the Boy-Who-Lived and yet it does seem to play well into your favor, doesn't it?" Draco couldn't keep the scowl off of his face.

"Honestly, it doesn't, because most people are like you and think that myself and my godfather forced Harry into the relationship. None of that is true." The defense attorney slowly walked back and forth, his expression one of faux-deep thought.

"So _you_ say, but come to think of it, that brings up a good question. What does Harry Potter-Snape's acceptance of the Courtship say about his character? Why would someone considered the symbol of the Light side of the war start a relationship with someone known to be firmly on the Dark side? Why would the Saviour of the Wizarding World date a young man who's aunt murdered his beloved godfather, a young man who has severely bullied and tormented him throughout his school years?" The man's words sparked some doubt and self-confidence issues in Draco. He had tried not to think such things throughout their relationship and Draco only allowed himself to feel grateful that Harry was so forgiving.

"Harry has a bigger heart and a larger capacity for forgiveness than most. He also knows what it's like to be blamed for something one didn't do or be treated harshly because of who their family is." Attorney Madison's face practically turned to stone and his tone froze his next words.

"But the images do seem to be juxtaposed, do they not? No one could be so absolutely forgiving. The way I see it, either you and your father and your godfather forced the Light's hero into a relationship with a follower of the man who murdered the boy's parents or Mr. Potter- _Snape_ is not such the innocent, kind, respectful young man that you all keep making him out to be." Prosecutor Thornsworth stood from his seat.

"Objection! Your Honor is there a question Attorney Madison is trying to get at?" Judge Femdt agreed with Thornsworth and turned a stern gaze on the Dursley's lawyer.

"Ask a legitimate question Attorney Madison or move on." The attorney held up his hands in surrender, but it was clear his words had already caused a few judges on the panel to be more skeptical of Harry, not many, but enough to be worrisome.

"I'm sorry, Judge Femdt. Mr. Malfoy, did you and your family force Mr. Potter-Snape into this relationship or is he willingly dating a Death Eater?" Draco couldn't hold back his anger as he shouted,

"Neither!" Attorney Madison shook his head.

"May I remind you, Mr. Malfoy, that you are under oath. Now answer me honestly." Draco's eye twitched in his rage and he glared at the horrible man questioning him.

"I am answering you honestly! We didn't force Harry into the relationship and I am _not_ a Death Eater!" With that last declaration, Draco ripped up his left sleeve to reveal a _bare_ forearm. Those in the courtroom, aside from Draco's family and Intended, gasped in surprise and leaned forward as if to get a better look. "The Dark Mark was a symbol of loyalty to Voldemort, seared into the flesh with his dark magic. Many thought it was a permanent shackle, but it wasn't. Those who truly defied him or were forced into the mark and did not believe in his ideals lost the black scar the moment Harry finally killed him. Only those who were true to Voldemort kept the skull and snake, because it became a part of them." The Defense Attorney clearly had not been expecting this turn of events and so threw down the gauntlet.

"Well…if that is the case, then I must insist that Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape show proof of this 'change of heart' as well." Attorney Madison looked to Judge Femdt to make the decision and the witch nodded.

"Unfortunately, I must insist as well. Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape if you would. Bare your left forearms." Without hesitation, the two wizards in question stood and, in sync, lifted their sleeves to show equally unmarred flesh. You could hear a pin drop in the courtroom, and Harry couldn't stop smiling despite the circumstances.

The Head Judge cleared her throat and everyone could see her trying not to smile.

"Since this courtroom is warded against any form of Glamours and any Concealment Charms, I think it is safe to say that they truly no longer have the Dark Mark. Do you have any further questions for Mr. Malfoy, Attorney Madison?" The Defense Attorney's lips were pressed tightly together in displeasure, but he shook his head in the negative. "Very well. Mr. Malfoy, you are dismissed. You may rejoin your family and Intended." Draco inclined his head as he stood.

"Thank you, Judge." As soon as Draco was back with Harry, the Gryffindor took the Slytherin's hand and kissed the back of it. Draco smiled brightly at Harry. The moment was interrupted when Prosecutor Thornsworth called Harry to the stand. The young wizard closed his eyes and took a deep breath before standing. Sitting in the testifying chair was a bit nerve wracking, and Harry was having flashbacks to the summer before his fifth year. He quickly shook those thoughts away as his lawyer began with the questions.

"Mr. Potter-Snape, let me begin with my sincerest thanks for what you did for all of the Wizarding World and my sincerest apologies for our current circumstances." Here the man paused, clearly expecting Harry to respond.

"Umm, you're welcome…and thanks?" Harry winced at his awkward answer. He was growing more uncomfortable the longer he sat in the seat, and the new position put him right in the sights of his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. His relatives were glaring at him so hard, the boy could swear his _felt_ it. Thornsworth smiled in a smarmy way.

"Mr. Potter-Snape, we've heard a lot about your childhood from others throughout this trial. I would like to know what _you_ thought of your childhood. Were you happy?" Harry's mind actually blanked for a moment, trying to compute the question. Happy? Was he happy? That was hard to answer…and he said so.

"That's a difficult question, Sir. I…I mean I've had plenty of happy _moments_ , but I don't know if I was ever consistently happy until the war ended." The Prosecutor made a motion for him to continue. "Well, growing up, some of the first things I remember were being told how much of a burden I was on my relatives, and how much I wasn't wanted. From there it was always doing excessive chores, cooking all of the meals, getting yelled at and hit for not doing what I was supposed to, even though I could never figure out what that _was_ -"

Harry took a deep breath as his hands began to shake. He was letting his emotions get the better of him. Embarrassment was running like fire through his veins, telling his most personal secrets to a room full of strangers and his loved ones (whom he hadn't told everything).

"But, then I met Hagrid and he took me to Hogwarts and…he was my first friend. He got me an owl for my birthday. She was the first gift I had ever gotten and became my second friend. I made more friends at Hogwarts and finally felt like I belonged, that I wasn't a _freak_. That feeling didn't always last throughout the war, what with everything Voldemort did and being called a liar by the press, amongst other things. But I still had my friends. I had the Weasleys who treated me like family whenever I got the rare opportunity to see them. I had my godfather for a short time." Harry had to pause a clear his throat.

His windpipe felt like it was closing, and Harry pulled at his collar as thought it had tightened while he was speaking.

"Then the war was finally over and I could breathe. I got sent back to the Dursleys though and…well, you heard what happened there. When I came back to Hogwarts for my last year there was a small part of me that thought I just wasn't meant to ever be happy or have a family that actually cared about me. My mum and dad were ripped from me by a madman, then my godfather was murdered by a lunatic witch. I lost friends and others I considered family and when I finally ended the man who had started all of this pain, I was then sent back to people who despised me the most just for existing." Finally, Harry looked over at Severus, Lucius, Arthur and Draco. All of their eyes were wet and threatening to spill over. Harry flashed them his own watery smile. "Then I slowly started to make my dream come true. I finally found a family that could be mine and that wouldn't be ripped away from me…though people have tried and the damned _Prophet_ keeps trying." Harry sighed and wiped his eyes.

"So, long story short, Prosecutor Thornsworth, my childhood had some people that made me happy whenever they could, but no. I did not have a _happy_ childhood. I was not happy." The Prosecutor let the emotion settle in the room, and for just a moment, the young Gryffindor thought the man himself had been moved by Harry's little speech. A glance at his relatives found Uncle Vernon still fuming, but Petunia…Petunia wasn't glaring. She was staring at Harry, but the burning hatred of before was gone from her eyes. Instead, Harry liked to believe he saw a little bit of remorse.

But maybe that was just wishful thinking.

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 **Woke up one random morning** **and suddenly this chapter just slipped out. Wish I had more days like that.**

 **Just made up the Death Eater mark thing...hope you like it.**

 **Please review ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

Imprudence: Chapter 12

 **Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! :) Here's a new chapter for you. *Keep in mind this is a direct continuation of the last chapter!**

 ***Warnings: Much angst and cruel Dursleys ahead! Some cruel and homophobic things ahead!**

 **Recounting of Harry's terrible summer w/ David and Uncle Vernon! Be warned!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Harry Potter Testimony Part 2**

"I am very sorry to hear that, Mr. Potter-Snape," Prosecutor Thornsworth said, referring to Harry's answer to whether he had a happy childhood. "Now my next question will be rather difficult for you, I imagine, but please do what you can." Harry had been prepared for this moment and nodded, counting in his head to calm his magic. "We have heard from Madame Pomfrey about the wounds you sustained this past summer and what you told her. We have also heard your Uncle accuse you of attempted rape. Can you please give us your personal version of events?"

Harry slowly nodded again and began, keeping his eyes down so he didn't have to see a bunch of strangers or his relatives looking at him.

"Well…to start, I, um, I didn't understand why I had been sent back to the Dursleys. I thought when I turned seventeen I was free. However, not two days after the war I was hustled back to Privet Drive by a couple of Aurors. My relatives had been home for a little while; they had been at a safe house when Voldemort was running free. They…weren't happy to see me." Harry fiddled with one of the cufflinks.

"The first thing they did was throw me back into my cupboard-" Thornsworth stepped forward with a hand up in question.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but could you explain to the Court what you mean by 'my cupboard'?" Harry's jaw clenched and he nodded stiffly.

"Yeah, sorry. I lived in the cupboard under the stairs for as long as I could remember. I was only given my cousin's second bedroom to stay in after I got back from my first year, because my Aunt and Uncle thought someone was watching them." The Prosecutor nodded and bade him to continue his original story.

"So, I lived in my cupboard again and they put me to work whenever I wasn't here at the Ministry testifying in Death Eater cases. They would…they would hit me where it wouldn't show, and I was too embarrassed to tell the Aurors that the Boy-Who-Lived couldn't protect himself from his Muggle relatives." Harry's voice shook a bit at the last admission so he took a moment to collect himself. The courtroom was silent. Clearing his throat, he continued. "At some point during the summer a new family moved in across the road from us. It was a couple around my Aunt and Uncle's age and they had a son who was about my age. He would watch me while I did yard work." Harry couldn't stop the blush that came up his cheeks.

"My relatives invited them over for dinner. I cooked and served them then waited in the hall. The whole time they were there, David, the son, kept looking at me. It…I liked it. Meanwhile, my Aunt and Uncle got along great with his parents. They shared the same ideals and beliefs. David's parents soon hated me on principle. Anyway, David really started flirting whenever he could after that, and we started a sort of…secret relationship. My Aunt and Uncle always shouted about how disgusting gays are and how they should be killed. David's parents brought him to our completely 'normal' neighborhood so he would be away from bad influences. David and I snuck around when we could to meet and…and make-out." Harry's eyes flicked up to see Draco, afraid his Intended would be mad. It was irrational since Draco had already heard this story, and the boy assuaged his fears with an encouraging smile.

"David helped me realize that…that _I_ was gay. He could tell something was going on at home but I always distracted him and eventually he stopped asking. Then…near the end of the summer his family came over for dinner again…" Harry could hear his own screams echoing in his head, and he closed his eyes and took a moment to banish them from his thoughts before plowing through the rest of the story.

"David snuck into the hallway where I was and we started kissing again. Then, his mom found us. She pulled him away and slapped me, screaming that I had forced myself on her son. Uncle Vernon grabbed my arm and said he should _gut me_ for what I'd done, then started dragging me outside to the shed. The shed is where he keeps his special…tools. I kept screaming for David to tell them the truth, that I hadn't forced myself on him, that he loved me and he…" Harry's breath hitched. "He just stood there. He wouldn't even look at me." A tear slipped down Harry's cheek and he quickly wiped it away. "Uncle Vernon threw me down onto the floor of the shed and grabbed a knife from one of the shelves. He tore my shirt off and- and carved the word _POOF_ into my shoulder." Harry's hand lifted and grabbed at the shoulder in question, phantom pains making themselves known. His expression went from pained to numbed in the next moment, his tone flat. "I thought I was going to-to die, it hurt so bad. Then he beat me and left me out there until morning. I used some of the few healing spells I knew and they seemed to work. However, the wound…the wound kept causing me pain long after it happened. I didn't understand why until Madame Pomfrey examined me. My magic had protected me from bleeding out and then continued to try and fight the eventual infection that set into the wound. I wasn't able to seal up the wound quick enough and it got infected, causing it to hurt and scar permanently."

The Prosecutor let everything sink in for a few moments. The man hid it well, but he was slightly effected by the story also.

"Is there no way to remove your Uncle's mark from your body?" Harry grimaced.

"My father provided me with some salves to put onto the scar which have lessened its appearance significantly, but it is still faintly visible. There's only so much magic can do, because I didn't tell anyone soon enough for it to be fixed." Prosecutor Thornsworth glanced at the defendants and was pleased at the Uncle's reaction. The Aunt was starting to show a bit of what looked like remorse, however, which wouldn't exactly incline the judges to hand down a harsh verdict.

"I am deeply sorry you had to experience such trauma, Mr. Potter-Snape. I know that was hard for you, but I still have two questions for you." When Harry nodded his acquiescence Thornsworth proceeded. "First, were you forced or manipulated into a relationship with Mr. Draco Malfoy?" This question felt easy to Harry compared to the last one, and he quickly shook his head.

"Absolutely not. There was a few misunderstandings at the beginning as to who was aware of what, but no. _No one_ forced, threatened, coerced or manipulated me into entering into a Courtship with Draco. I happily and willingly consented to the relationship." Draco and Harry smiled at each other, and Lucius squeezed his son's shoulder in support of the two.

"My last question, Mr. Potter-Snape," the Prosecutor continued, "is two-fold. Has your adopted father, Severus Snape, abused you in any way before or after you were adopted by him? Second, with no link to what the answer is to the first question, has your guardian encouraged you to lie or make up falsehoods regarding the Dursley's treatment of you?" Harry looked the man straight in the eye and in a clear, strong voice said,

"No, to both questions." With a nod and a smile, the Prosecutor stepped back.

"No further questions, Your Honor." The Defense Attorney didn't even wait for the Prosecutor to be fully in his seat before going on the attack.

"Mr. Potter- _Snape_ , I would like to first address the accusations your Uncle has brought against you. While you have said that they have treated you unjustly, they claim that you have brought them nothing but trouble, that you have attacked them and your cousin on numerous occasions, and to top it off, that you attempted to sexually assault a young man in your neighborhood. What do you have to say to these accusations?" Harry leaned back a bit in his seat as the man had loomed closer and closer with each statement.

"I…I know it was hard for them, I do." Many people were surprised by Harry's opening statement, but he ignored the shocked expressions and continued. "They were forced to take me in, a child they didn't want. That doesn't excuse what they did, but it…none of us would be here if I wasn't thrust upon them." For months after the kidnapping incident, Severus and Harry's other friends and family did all they could to convince Harry that it wasn't his fault that the Dursleys treated him the way they did. The lesson…partially sunk in, as Harry still felt somewhat responsible.

"I never deliberately attacked them. In my third year I blew up my Aunt Marge on accident. She kept talking about how I should be beat harder and…I didn't really care about that, but she started calling my Mum terrible names. My magic just kind of…went after her when she did that." Harry blushed as he remembered letting his emotions get the best of him, but quickly moved on. "Hagrid gave Dudley a pig's tail when he came to take me to Hogwarts my first year; my cousin was stuffing his face with the birthday cake Hagrid brought me. Then fifth year, someone in the Ministry sent Dementors after me. My cousin was with me at the time and he got attacked. My Aunt and Uncle blamed me for that. Then my last year before the war ended, my relatives had to be taken to a safe house because the Order was worried that Voldemort would send followers to kill them. Loads happened to them because they were forced to take me in, but…I couldn't control it. It wasn't my fault." Snape nodded to his son in encouragement. He had been trying to drill that thought into his son's head for months now and he was proud that Harry finally seemed to be accepting it.

"And the attempted rape," Attorney Madison prodded. Here Harry turned bright red but in anger.

"I did _not_ force myself on David. I would never…" Harry had to pause for a moment, feeling sick to his stomach just thinking about it. "I would never do something like that. David and I were…I don't know what you would call it, but we were friends at least. We were caught making out, that's it, and his mum only screamed that I had forced myself on him so that she wouldn't have to admit that her son was gay. David came out into that hallway and started kissing _me_. He pressed _me_ into the wall while we were making out. How is that _me_ forcing him into anything?!" Harry was getting a little hysterical and tried to reign it in, knowing it wouldn't do him any good. "You're not going to let me take Veritaserum and you won't accept my memories of the event, so why are you even bothering to ask? You know there is no way to prove what I'm saying against what my Uncle says, unless you let me do those things that we all know you won't."

The Defense Attorney just stood there staring at Harry for a bit before continuing on with the next question like nothing had happened.

"What would you say your relationship is to your cousin? He's been mentioned a few times during this trial and it seems you would consider him a tormentor of yours as well. Why have you only brought charges against your Aunt and Uncle?" Harry could see his lawyer's eye twitch at the question.

"Dudley kind of…apologized to me the last time I saw him. After the war was over he actually wrote me as well, told me he was sorry about how he treated me when we were kids." Harry twirled the cufflinks some more, his voice getting soft and a sort of…surprised happiness in his tone. "He's off at university now. He got a scholarship for boxing and is studying athletic training and psychology. We actually write a lot to each other. I forgave him and he's actually trying to not be the person he was. My Aunt and Uncle have never apologized for what they've done and still think they've done nothing wrong. That's why Dudley's not here and they are." The Defense Attorney lifted a brow at the boy before him.

"And what do you think Dudley would say if he knew you were trying to get his parents thrown in jail? Take your best guess." Harry just barely kept himself from smirking, knowing his answer would wipe the smug look off the man's face.

"Oh, I don't have to guess, Sir. I know." Sure enough, Attorney Madison's smirk dropped right off of his face and he sputtered for a moment. "Like I said, Dudley and I write to each other a lot now. I told him about the trial, seemed only right to. He was a little upset, but he also understood why this was happening. He told me that while he's sad to think of his parents in prison, he understands that what they did was wrong and if anyone had known about it before this probably would have happened sooner."

"That's a bloody lie!" Vernon fought against the chains holding him in place as he snarled at his nephew. Harry, in his eagerness to stop the Defense Attorney from looking so smug, somehow forgot about his Aunt and Uncle. Vernon's rage startled him and he gripped the arms of his chain tightly as he tensed. Aunt Petunia wailed in emotional agony as her husband continued to scream.

"Enough!" Judge Femdt cast a Silencio on the pair and an eerie silence fell over the courtroom as everyone could still see Vernon spitting curses and Petunia sobbing, but no sound came out. Madison cleared his throat and tried to get back on track.

"Your cousin brings up a good point, if that is indeed what he said. Why didn't you tell anyone sooner? Why did you wait all this time, until you are considered an adult in the Muggle world, to do this?" Harry couldn't contain the scoff that escaped. Bitterness was written plainly on his face.

"You think I didn't try to tell anyone? I tried telling my teachers in primary school, but after the first time one tried to do anything, I got labeled a liar. My Aunt and Uncle told them I was a devil child that hated them and my cousin and would do anything to ruin them. I supposedly got all of my bruises and sprains and such from starting fights in my neighborhood. The teachers believed my relatives and never listened to me again. They started blaming me for anything that went wrong in the classroom and put me in detention for lying if I told them I didn't have my homework because my cousin took it." Harry leaned back and rubbed a hand over his face. "I told Dumbledore that I hated it there and begged him to let me stay at Hogwarts over the summer. All he ever told me was it was 'safer' for me at the Dursley's and, 'Really, Harry, extra chores never hurt anyone.'" The young man sighed and sat back up. "After that I gave up. No adult was going to listen to me; I had already learned that by age eleven. Besides there were more important things to worry about, you know, like Voldemort. It wasn't until I got a guardian that actually cared about me, that this even crossed my mind. Then, before we could do anything, this whole drama was taken out of our hands." Harry's face contorted in angst for a moment before he spat out,

"And you know what? I wish the damn Wizarding World would make up its mind. Am I an adult that should be responsible for my own actions, independent, and forget about everything that my relatives did to me? Or am I a child who can't stand up for himself and needs some lawyers and politicians deciding how my life should go and how I should be treated and taken care of? Why don't _you_ answer me, Attorney Madison? Was I a child trying to protect those I actually call family, out there fighting and defeating Voldemort for the Wizarding World, while being terribly abused at home and having that abuse ignored by all of you? Or was I an adult who made my own choices and needs to get over the fact that my Aunt and Uncle beat me and starved me nearly everyday of my life and carved a slur into my shoulder?"

The courtroom was silent and everyone was, for lack of a better word, stunned. Even the Defense Attorney was speechless. He finally found his words after a few moments, and simply said,

"No further questions."

* * *

 **After reading the 7th book I felt that Dudley had some potential for redemption. I like to think that he and Harry at least keep in contact and up to date with each other even if they're not having a sleep-overs-and-painting-each-other's-toe-nails kind of relationship.**

 **Please review ;)**


	13. Chapter 13

Imprudence: Chapter 13

 **Finally back somewhere with working wifi! *Keep in mind this is a direct continuation of the last chapter!**

 ***Warnings: Primarily just angst here...and an angry Vernon Dursley but what else is new?**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Almost There!**

Harry released a shaky breath as the defense attorney finally stepped back. He couldn't think of anyone else who would be called to the stand and for a moment believed that it was actually over.

"Don't return to your seat just yet, Mr. Potter-Snape." The small bud of hope withered and died in Harry's chest. He flashed confused and panicked eyes to his father, but Severus looked just as confused and uncertain (not that anyone but family could actually tell).

Judge Femdt didn't address the young Gryffindor or the Dursley's with her next words, but the judges on the panel.

"Judges, now is your time to ask anyone any further questions you may have." Many hands shot up and Harry subconsciously hunched down into his seat to try and get away from the onslaught he saw coming. The Head Judge looked around at the hands and raised a brow before saying, "Questions relevant to _this case_ , ladies and gentlemen. I believe everyone here has been through enough without pointless questions dragging it out." With a bit of grumbling, over half of the hands slowly went back down leaving about six.

Judge Femdt called on a woman to her right.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, after hearing your nephew and others speak, do you still maintain your innocence and that the boy _deserved_ his treatment?" Harry was exceedingly happy that the first question was not for him and that it seemed to be in support of him. His Uncle was the first to answer.

"I don't care if you Freaks seem to be swallowing this boy's codswallop, but I refuse to answer for _his_ crimes. He's a damned menace that needs to be put down for everyone's sake!" Severus ground his teeth together in an effort to not curse the walrus of a man then and there. Lucius squeezed his wrist tightly and muttered,

"He will get what he is due, my friend. Just hang on a little longer." Severus simply nodded in acknowledgement and everyone's eyes turned to Petunia Dursley. Vernon had to be magically silenced again as he continued to rant and rave about the 'monster' Harry was.

Harry's Aunt was quiet and didn't answer at first. She was staring straight at her nephew, straight into her sister's eyes, and her own dull eyes began to water a bit. She sniffled and shook her head jerkily.

"I…I'm sorry, Harry." Harry felt like he couldn't breathe, his chest stopped up with emotion and a lump forming in his throat. He…his Aunt had never called him by his name before. "I…tell Dudley I still love him, won't you?" Harry nodded tightly and then looked down at his lap, trying to get his emotions under control. He knew it wasn't anything _he_ really said that got his Aunt to change her mind. Harry knew full well that it was hearing what Dudley thought of the whole thing that got Petunia Dursley to realize the severity of what she'd done.

While Harry was thinking about his Aunt's words the Head Judge called on a man to her left, a wizard with a permanent scowl on his face.

"Mr. Potter," Harry immediately bristled at the man's deliberate use of his old name. "You mentioned there was a misunderstanding during your relationship with Mr. Malfoy. Elaborate." The younger wizard took a deep breath to stop himself from saying something he'd regret to the rude judge. Though Harry didn't see it, the looks the other judges had on their faces said they clearly didn't appreciate the man's attitude either.

"Because of my relatives' hatred for homosexuals and what they did to me last summer, I was…under the impression that same-sex relationships were viewed similarly in the Wizarding World. I did fancy Draco but I didn't think we were…dating…because I thought that wasn't acceptable. I just thought we were being really close friends. Most everyone was under the impression that I had been with a temporary _magical_ guardian the previous summer and would have been taught about Courtship, but I wasn't. This all culminated into a bit of a misunderstanding. My guardian and the Malfoys all thought I knew what was going on, but I still thought I'd get killed if I admitted I liked Draco in _that_ way. When it was all cleared up though, I was perfectly willing to continue the Courtship." The judge hmph'd and settled for narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Harry and his family.

Judge Femdt subtly rolled her eyes, making Harry's mouth twitch in amusement. She called on another wizard seated behind her.

"Professor Snape, what were your plans to handle this situation before it was…taken out of your hands, shall we say?" It amazed Harry and the others that Prosecutor Thornsworth still didn't seem to grasp the fact that _no one_ appreciated what he had done, much less Harry and his guardian.

The Potion's Master stood as he addressed the council of judges and kept his facial expressions as neutral as possible.

"I had been including Harry in the decision process since he is considered an adult in the Muggle world and such an event as this would greatly impact his life. I informed him approximately eight months ago that I fully intended to bring his relatives up on charges of child abuse, assault and kidnapping. However, I left it up to him whether he wanted to be a part of the process or left completely out of it. He told me that while he would rather I just left the whole thing be, that we just forget everything and move on, he would rather be a part of it than not. I was compiling evidence and was getting ready to contact a solicitor of _my choice_ to start the process, when I received a letter informing me that a prosecutor neither of us had ever met had decided to charge the Dursleys on Harry's behalf." The judge nodded his understanding and Severus sat down.

Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Prosecutor Thornsworth tense. He wondered if that meant the man was finally picking up on the fact that his clients were not grateful to him for what he had done. There were only three hands still raised so Harry turned his attention back to the judges instead of continuing to stare at his family.

"Mr. Potter-Snape, what would you consider an appropriate punishment for your relatives should they be found guilty?" The young Gryffindor was actually rather happy to hear someone who sounded professionally impartial in this case. It was refreshing in a surprising way. The question, however, did throw him off. He honestly hadn't thought much about what would/should happen to the Dursleys after the trial, so he took a few moments to think on it and come up with an answer.

"Well…I honestly don't want to have them given the Kiss, or any other sort of death penalty. Despite all that they've done to me, they are still some of my last living relatives. I also know that Mum still loved my Aunt." Harry sneaked a glance at Petunia and saw her looking down in shame. "I think time in Azkaban would be best to make them understand what they put me through. I was regularly kept in a small, dark space with little to no food. Wizarding prison would give them that experience. I'm not doing this for revenge. They just…need to understand that what they did was wrong."

Severus couldn't help but smile with pride at his son. Harry was so forgiving and mature; his heart was so like Lily's it astounded him at times. Everyone thought the boy was finished, but then Harry surprised them by having a little more to say.

"I…if Aunt Petunia could be allowed to write to Dudley and get letters too, I think that would be alright. I think she is starting to maybe understand and I know Dudley misses her." Mrs. Dursley started openly weeping at that and Harry felt…confused more than anything. He was still working on forgiving them for what they did and he knew they held no fondness for him…but he couldn't help but feel a little sad to see his aunt cry.

"Thank you, Young Man," the judge said. Judge Femdt turned in her chair to look for the last two hands, only to furrow her brow when one of those hands went down.

"Judge Rosemund, did you have a question?" The judge in question shook his head.

"The last question was similar enough to mine that my question was answered." After a thoughtful pause, he continued. "Actually, I do have another question for Mr. Potter-Snape. I would feel better asking this myself. Can you assure me that you are not being abused by your guardian, your Intended or the Malfoy family? As I'm sure you know, abuse is not just physical." Harry was getting rather tired of the question, but knew it was extremely important that he answered it. One slip and another fame seeking prosecutor could try and charge the Malfoys and his dad with abuse.

"I swear on my magic that they are not abusing me." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Severus hissing at him for making a swear so carelessly. "I've lived with abusers most of my life, and I can tell you that the Malfoys are nothing like them. I also know that they will _never_ abuse me or anyone. Trust me, if they were controlling me, manipulating me or abusing me I would not be sitting here wearing gaudy Gryffindor colors." That got a few huffs of laughter from around the room, and Harry relaxed a little. "I also have the Weasleys, Hermione Granger, the Minister of Magic, the Longbottoms, and the Lovegoods who would put an end to anything of the sort the moment they even suspect it. I'm finally in the care of people who love me and won't hurt me. I assure you."

Judge Rosemund seemed impressed with his answer, especially the names of the proper 'Light' families that would come to his aid, and nodded in acknowledgement. Finally the Head Judge turned to the last hand up.

"Though I know that the Defense will complain that memories can be tampered with, I would like to request that Mr. Potter-Snape provide us with the memories of his abuse, especially the violence he experienced last summer. If there are no objections from the _judge's panel_ ," here the judge paused with a significant look to the Defense Attorney, before turning her attention to Harry. "Would you please put the requested memories into this Pensieve?" With a flick of her wand a Pensieve floated out from the Head Judge's podium, only to stop right in front of Harry.

No objections came. With a gulp around the lump in his throat, Harry nodded and then closed his eyes to concentrate on the memories he wanted. It took a while, but he eventually had the most important memories in the shimmering water. Harry needed a moment to breathe as he both shook with exhaustion and his skin buzzed with power. It had been a while since he let his magic core have time to stretch its boundaries, and with his emotionally shaken state, it was pushing harder at them.

Once he had sufficiently calmed himself, the Head Judge dismissed him back to his family. Standing on shaky legs, Harry nodded as graciously as he could to the panel and walked back to the proscenium with his head held high. The panel conferred amongst themselves while he made his way back to his seat and made an announcement once he was settled.

"We will take a three hour recess to watch these memories and then determine a decision and punishment if appropriate. Those of the prosecution, feel free to leave the building for the allotted time so long as you are back before we reconvene." With that, the judges simply blinked out of existence, causing Harry to blink himself in surprise.

"Where did they…?" He gestured to the now empty seats and Mr. Weasley answered.

"There is a private viewing and deliberation chamber that the judges can essentially Portkey to. Because it is so close in proximity, it looks like they blink away like a house elf….oh! Or switching a Muggle light-swatch, rather!" Arthur Weasley looked so happy with his Muggle reference that Harry didn't bother to correct him for saying 'swatch' instead of 'switch.' Besides, he actually used a correct analogy which was a step up from usual.

"Well, Gentlemen, I would highly recommend you use this time to grab something to eat. It's an hour past lunch time and they won't be done until supper at least. I always add an hour and a half to the time they allot," Auror Winthrop suggested. Severus and the Malfoys agreed while Harry looked stunned.

"Has it really been that long? It…it felt like forever, but I figured it had only been an hour or so since we started." Severus pulled his son into a tight hug before releasing him to Draco for similar treatment.

"It has, Harry. They questioned each of us for quite some time. The lack of clocks in this room also does not help with your confusion. Now, come. You may think you will get away with pushing food around a plate, but I plan to watch you eat a full serving of _something,_ even if I have to hand feed it too you." Harry's nose wrinkled in distaste causing those around him to laugh.

As expected, Severus's threat was enough motivation for Harry to try his best to eat something. They picked a slower moving sit-down restaurant a little walk from the Ministry building. Arthur and Auror Winthrop got a table next to the four men so as not to draw more attention to a large group. They set Severus, Harry, Draco and Lucius into the table next to the wall then took the table between them and the rest of the room.

Harry wanted to say that seemed a bit like overkill (if they insisted on testing all the food for poison he'd have to put his foot down) but then again with the way his life seemed to attract trouble from all corners…it was best not to tempt fate.

With some encouragement from his Intended and a stomach soother from his father, Harry managed to make it through a sandwich and tea. Despite his earlier nausea he did feel much better having something settle easily in his stomach. His family kept him distracted for the whole three hours they had to wait. Draco and Severus talked about Draco's Mastery project. Arthur talked about the kids, even Ginny who had been doing much better recently and was actually allowed visitors now. Lucius discussed all of the progress made with the charity and orphanage, and Auror Winthrop, being an orphan himself, actually had some helpful suggestions for and insight into the orphanage that Lucius graciously accepted.

Finally, and too soon all at once, it was time to return to the courtroom. Though Arthur and Auror Winthrop told them to expect to wait in the courtroom another hour or so, Harry was still anxious about returning.

He couldn't help but fear that they wouldn't believe him, or they would but they'd also try and take him away from Severus and Draco. Too many people of power had interfered with Harry's life for him to ever really trust the system again.

As they approached the room where they would hear the verdict, Severus laid an arm across Harry's shoulders and Draco took his hand. Gathering strength from them, Harry raised his head and walked in.

* * *

 **Almost done with the trial! Finally! Dragged that out longer than I thought I would! :)**

 **Please review ;)**


	14. Chapter 14

Imprudence: Chapter 14

 **Summer is almost over and I'm not ready! :( *Keep in mind this is a direct continuation of the last chapter!**

 ***Warnings: Primarily just angst here...and an angry Vernon Dursley but what else is new?**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Finished**

Arthur and Auror Winthrop were unsurprisingly correct about having to wait longer than the allotted three hours. It turned into four, then five, when it was inching towards six and almost dinner time, the judges finally returned along with the Defendants.

The Panel looked stoic and dry-eyed for the most part. However, Harry spotted a few red-rimmed eyes amongst the judges or the occasional glare directed at the Dursleys. Judge Femdt's expression did not give anything away however, which honestly surprised Harry given how expressive the witch was throughout the trial. Once everyone was settled and ready, Judge Femdt began.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, please stand." Petunia shakily stood without any further prompting but Vernon had to be yanked to his feet by the guards, all the while glaring at everyone. Harry could tell by their body language that his aunt and uncle were not happy with each other. Petunia probably blamed Vernon for the whole mess and Vernon likely accused Petunia of siding with the "Freaks."

The Head Judge leveled the two Muggles with a glare worthy of a certain Potion's Master he knew.

"After reviewing your nephew's memories, our long deliberation became a matter of determining the severity of your punishment. We unanimously decided the memories were _not_ tampered with given that no one could fake such horrific memories. Any sliver of innocence that you could have clung on to was dashed when we watched what you did to that boy. The horrifying thing is that what he gave us is no where near the extent of it all. He merely gave us the highlights. In a word, we were disgusted. That anyone could treat a _child_ the way you did, let alone flesh and blood, is despicable. In contrast, the treatment that you gave your own son was almost just as damaging. You turned him into a spoiled-rotten bully and if he hadn't grown a conscience and mind of his own I would have demanded he be standing here with you today." Judge Femdt let her words sink in for a moment. Tears were running down Petunia's cheeks unchecked, while Vernon was just turning more and more red with anger.

"Though Mr. Potter-Snape had requested that a death penalty not be considered, more than a few judges proposed death sentences due to the severity of your actions." Harry's mouth dropped open in shock, unsure whether that news made him happy or upset. "Keep in mind, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, not only have you severely abused a young man from _our_ community but you severely abused the _Saviour_ of our community. _Everyone_ knows this boy's name, and everyone who wasn't a supporter of the Dark side of the war owes this boy a life debt for saving all of our lives." Harry had to bite his lip to keep from protesting. He hated it when people talked like he was the only reason they won the war against Voldemort. It simply wasn't true.

"You _might_ be happy to know that we decided against a death sentence. Instead you will both be getting life sentences in a medium security cell in Azkaban. Mrs. Dursley, you have the opportunity for parole in fifteen years and will be allowed to keep in contact your son. Understand that this is a privilege that can be revoked at any time," Judge Femdt warned. Petunia nodded quickly, her gray, stringy hair flopping about as she did. "Mr. Dursley, you will not be granted a chance for parole and will live out the remainder of your days in your cell, no contact allowed with anyone from the outside world." Vernon had already been Silencio'd beforehand, which was a good thing because he started shouting what appeared to be a long string of obscenities.

Harry's chest was starting to unwind, assuming that the ruling was over. Everyone else seemed to be of a similar impression but then the Head Judge continued.

"Finally, we ruled that once a month you will both be subjected to the Retribution Curse. This curse will let you experience everything you subjected your nephew for twenty four hours every single month like clockwork. Only when you feel true remorse will the curse be lifted. Luckily for you two, it is the curse itself that determines the sincerity of your remorse, otherwise you would likely never be relieved of it. This concludes the trial of Mr. Potter-Snape vs. The Dursleys-Muggle. Guards, take the prisoners away. Everyone else is dismissed." Harry felt…light-headed. That was all he could really articulate in his mind in that moment.

"Harry? Harry, are you okay?" Harry finally turned to look at his Intended, his face betraying how stunned and confused he was.

"It's over," he muttered. Draco lifted Harry's hand and kissed the back of it.

"Yes, Harry. It's over." A shaky breath released from Harry's lungs and he made his way to his feet, slowly. His face was suddenly pressed into his father's chest and he honestly didn't care. He wrapped his arms around Severus and held on for a few solid moments. Draco kept a hand between Harry's shoulder blades, rubbing his back soothingly. When the father and son finally separated, Severus ran a hand through Harry's hair and said,

"Let's go home." Harry smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, I want to go home." Before they left the stands, Lucius dragged Harry into his own hug, which the young Gryffindor happily returned. He even laughed a little when Lord Malfoy squeezed him extra tight and rocked back and forth. Finally, with Arthur in the front and Auror Winthrop bringing up the back, the small group began to leave the courtroom. Before they made it out however, there was a bit of a scuffle by the prisoner's entrance/exit.

Vernon was fighting the guards and throwing his substantial body weight around. He managed to get his cuffed arms free and in a violent swing smashed Petunia across the cheek. The blow was hard enough to send the slight woman crashing to the ground with a pained yelp. Everyone in that area of the courtroom, including the Dursleys' Defense Attorney, worked to subdue Vernon. No one was helping Petunia off the ground.

Harry was frozen in place watching the whole thing. Draco was trying to drag him away, but he just…couldn't. He saw his aunt on the ground and thought of his mum and…with a sigh Harry moved forward.

The young man didn't notice but almost everyone was watching him as he made his way over to his fallen aunt. When he reached Petunia, he crouched down and held out a hand. His aunt looked suspiciously at the offered help before finally taking what she was given. Harry slowly helped her to her feet and then she snatched her hands away like they were burnt.

The Healer-in-Training could see a very faint outline of an Aura around his aunt. Her lack of magic made the Aura much dimmer than a witch or wizard's. Despite this, Harry could still see a dark spot around Petunia's cheek where she was hurt. The small part of Harry that still craved love and acceptance from the people who had 'raised' him made him blurt out:

"I could help with that. I mean, I'm…I'm training to be a Healer and-"

"I don't _want_ your help," Petunia hissed. Without another word, she turned around and stomped back to the guards. A dull sting flashed in Harry's chest before he stamped it down. _It's not me. It's not my fault. It's them, it's them, it's them…_ His mantra was cut off by his father coming to get him.

"Come on, Harry. Time to go home." Some of his earlier happiness having faded, Harry nodded and responded quietly.

"Yeah…home."

* * *

 **Three Weeks Later**

Harry laid back on the couch, rubbing his fingers into his temples in the hopes of pushing back the headache he could feel building. It had been a long and trying day, and they had unfortunately lost a patient. The wizard was an Auror who had unknowingly gotten struck with a degenerative curse. By the time he noticed anything was wrong and came in to St. Mungo's it was too late. The curse finished running its course barely an hour after he checked in.

The worst part, Harry thought, was telling the family. The Auror's wife and ten year old daughter had come to see him, only knowing he wasn't feeling well. Moments after breaking the tragic news, Harry suddenly found himself with an armful of a newly-made widow, who sobbing horrifically. The little girl was practically comatose. Since it was almost the end of his shift, Healer Jason sent Harry home early to process the whole thing. Harry had known something like this would happen eventually, but it was still hard.

With a huff, Harry dragged himself up and made his way to the Room of Requirement. The last time he had let his magic have free reign had been shortly after returning from the trial. Severus dragged him out of there three hours later dripping sweat and trembling from exhaustion. Harry had a feeling this might turn into a similar situation.

Blast after blast of magic, Harry decimated dummies that the Room provided and brought to life. It took the young man a while to notice but the dummies had faces.

The faces were his own.

Harry froze, his hand lifted to explode another dummy, and he stared at his own face looking back at him. The Room had given the dummies a stoic, uncaring expression, one never seen before on the young wizard's actual face. Said wizard sighed heavily and dropped his hand. With a humorless huff of laughter Harry pinched the bridge of his nose.

"This can't be healthy," Harry muttered to himself. The Room sensed his reluctance to continue and banished the dummies. Instead it conjured a comfortable arm chair and a cup of chilled pumpkin juice for him. Harry gratefully sunk into the chair and guzzled down the juice. The magical work out had cleared his mind for an hour or so, but as he sat there, the self-deprecating thoughts started to creep back in.

Luckily, his father came into the Room of Requirement only moments later, interrupting his downward spiral.

"Harry?" Severus didn't bother asking if something was wrong, because something clearly was. Instead he simply walked over to his son. Harry felt the chair shifting underneath him as it transformed into a couch for him and his father to share. Snape sat next to Harry and pulled his son close to his side. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry didn't answer for a few moments.

"You would think I'd be used to it," he said quietly. Severus had a bad feeling about where this was going.

"Used to what, Harry?" Harry pulled in a shaky breath and let out a watery one.

"People dying because I couldn't help them." Snape's heart sunk. It was exactly as he expected. He had known that the first death Harry experienced during his job would be a tough one for him. To be honest, a small part of him had expected all of the death involved in the job as a Healer would eventually run his son off or make the poor boy break down. "I know it wasn't my fault," Harry suddenly said, surprising his father.

"I'm not the one who cast the curse that killed him. By the time he came to see a Healer it was too late. Nothing could have been done for him…I just…I just feel like I failed him and his family." The Potions Master squeezed his son tightly.

"Hence why you decided to let off some steam with your magic. Can I assume you were obliterating moving mannequins again?" Harry nodded without verbalizing his answer. "Is it too far of a leap for me to guess that they represented yourself and your perceived failure?" His son tensed for a moment and Severus felt a small wet patch form on his robes. Harry was quietly crying.

"N-no. It's not." Snape rubbed his hand up and down his son's arm in comfort. There wasn't much he could really _say_ to help the situation, seeing as Harry understood the most important part. Harry knew he wasn't at fault but it was the _feeling_ of responsibility and failure that was so painful, the sympathy for a little girl who lost a parent. So instead of useless reassurances, Severus just started…talking.

"Did I ever tell you about the time Draco snuck into my lab and turned himself blue?" He didn't wait for Harry to answer and began telling the tale of his overly ambitious godson at the age of four. By the end of it, Harry was laughing and Severus counted it as a win.

"And feel free to tell him I told you that. I'm sure he'd love to be reminded."

"At the proper moment, of course," Harry said, chuckling. The Gryffindor sighed as he relaxed, the sharp spike of joy from the story fading into a happy simmer. "Thanks, Dad," he said quietly. The Potions Master kissed his head.

"You are very welcome, Son. Now come on. It is just about time for dinner." Harry got up with his dad and the two headed down to their dungeon quarters.

Harry and Severus talked contentedly throughout the meal. Harry told his dad about the plans he had with Draco and then Hermione later in the week. The rare free time Harry had now that he was in full-time training he spent with friends and loved ones. He was done feeling alone and took every opportunity to remind himself of that by filling his time with the people he really cared for. Severus passed along a message from the Malfoys: the orphanage revamp was coming along nicely. The Lord and Lady were confident that the building would be ready for inspection and certification within the next two weeks.

As Harry laid in bed that night he went through the day's events in his head again. He finally came to the conclusion, once again, that there was nothing else he could have done that would have prevented the Auror from dying. Once he had assured himself of that, for the hundredth time, he started thinking of more positive things.

He would get to see Draco in a day or so and Hermione the day after. His training was going well despite the interruption due to the trial. The media was finally starting to slowly release the story and was moving on to other things. Some gossip columns were even turning on Prosecutor Thornsworth and letting the public know that there were whispers that Harry's lawyer would be looking for a new job soon. Not to mention, Harry hadn't heard another peep from David, letter or otherwise, since that incident during the trial.

Harry felt he could finally start to relax a bit. Resolved to stop looking over his shoulder, Harry settled down to rest. It would be another long day tomorrow.

* * *

 **The legal trial is finally over! But Harry's personal ones are far from finished. Bwahahahaha!**

 **Please review ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

Imprudence: Chapter 15

 **Please be advised: I have begun my senior year of college, which means there is a chance I won't be able to update as regularly as I have been. please be patient with me, and understand that I have a ridiculous amount of important work to do that might interfere with my publishing schedule. I won't abandon the story. It will be finished. Just bear with me.**

 **For now, please enjoy this new chapter. :)**

 ***Warnings: Primarily just angst here...and an angry Vernon Dursley but what else is new?**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Happy Day**

It had been months since the trial and Harry was on cloud nine. His training at St. Mungo's was rigorous but he loved every moment of it. It helped that only two weeks previously he had confided in Healer Jason about his…gift. His mentor took it in stride and was already thinking of ways for Harry to subtly incorporate his ability into his work. While Healer Jason was impressed with Harry's abilities and what he had managed with them, he also cautioned Harry to try and keep it a secret as much as possible.

Their society had come a long way in its open mindedness but the War was still relatively fresh in people's minds. If Harry, the defeater of the Dark Lord, suddenly proved himself to be even more powerful than anyone thought…people would likely react in one of two ways. They would either panic and label him a rising Dark Lord or try to worship him. Neither option was appealing and Harry agreed to continue with the secrecy.

Instead of using his powers for healing then, Healer Jason suggested figuring out a way to use it diagnostically. Harry would need to brush up on his lying skills, but Healer Jason was confident Harry would eventually be able to use his magic to locate the causes for illnesses. Once he knew what the cause was, Harry would simply have to find ways to come to the correct solution without giving away his gift.

A small wave of guilt hit Harry while Healer Jason was speculating about possibilities and he mentioned his brief thought that it would feel like cheating. Healer Jason rolled his eyes and waved the notion off as ridiculous. "If an Auror could use a crystal ball to find more criminals and get them off the streets would that be considered _cheating_?" That was the end of that.

So now, Harry had a rare day off and was spending it with Draco. They hadn't been able to see each other for longer than a few minutes at a time given their busy schedules. However, after a particularly busy week, Healer Jason forbade Harry from returning to the hospital for two days. Harry had contacted Draco as soon as he got home and made plans. His dad had made fun of him for 'primping' before their date but Harry just flipped him off as he tried to fix his hair. Severus barked out a laugh and felt a flare of happiness in his chest. A year ago Harry would have been terrified to joke in such a manner with him. Now his son was relaxed and confident; it was a wonderful thing to see.

After making sure he had his owl necklace on (the first of many gifts Draco gave him) and saying goodbye to his father, Harry hurried up to the main floor of the school and out the front doors. A quick wish with his magic brought him a comfortable warmth from the sharp chill outside. November had come in harsh a few days before, and they were already preparing for a snowy winter.

Draco wanted to meet Harry in Hogsmeade and in a way, recreate their first date. They were a few days off but a year ago Harry _officially,_ and knowingly, accepted Draco's Courtship. The Slytherin called it their anniversary and wanted to spend the day doing something special. Harry teased his Intended for his romantic ways but was secretly very happy about it. (Not to mention he considered it to be their anniversary too and had a present waiting for Draco back at home to give to his Intended at the right time).

A big grin broke out on Harry's face when he spotted Draco standing in front of Spintwitches. Harry's pace unconsciously picked up. Draco laughed as he caught a happy Harry Potter in a running hug. His Intended squeezed him tightly and Draco couldn't help but smirk when Harry pulled back with a blush on his face.

"Sorry. Just missed you." Draco's smirk softened to a happy smile and he linked Harry's arm with his own.

"Nothing to be sorry for. I missed you too. Now, what say you to retracing the steps of our first date?" Harry pulled a funny face as though he were thinking really hard about the matter.

"Hmmm, well I guess I'd say you're more than a bit sappy." Harry paused to give Draco the chance for his indignant scoff. "But I'd be happy too." Draco seemed pretty relieved so Harry was happy he didn't leave his man waiting for too long. So, they spent their day recreating their first date, not that Harry had known it was a date at the time. They talked and laughed about all of the things Draco had done for Harry and how Harry still hadn't figured out that Draco was interested in him until it was blatantly explained. It made Draco happy that they could now joke about something that had been confusing and scary a year ago.

They had lunch at Madame Brandy's like last time and Harry once again had the Coquilles Saint-Jacques dish. Draco and the Malfoy Lord and Lady had introduced Harry to a large variety of seafood and exotic dishes since then. Harry found quite a few new favorite foods but the French scallops dish was still his top choice. Draco was grateful that this time around there wasn't a female waitress trying to flirt with his Intended. There were a couple witches, and wizards, checking his Intended out, but Draco didn't mind that. As long as they didn't interrupt his date, Draco would take it as a compliment. Draco insisted on paying for the meal and Harry put up his typical protest.

"I'm richer than you so quit playing the 'I'm rich' card." The Slytherin rolled his eyes fondly as he signed the receipt.

"Yes, yes, I am well aware that you have a lot of money, Harry. You have also made it very clear that you are not a girl and can pay for your own meals, so don't _you_ play that card on _me_." Draco raised an eyebrow and Harry huffed, crossing his arms. Draco bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't laugh at the light blush painting Harry's cheeks.

When they stood, Draco held out his hand for Harry, and the Gryffindor rolled his eyes but took the hand nonetheless. Harry faltered for a moment when Draco started leading him to Honeyduke's.

"Uhhh, you sure about this? Remember what happened last time?" Draco smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. I already ordered a box of chocolates with very strict instructions to the chocolatiers to not include anything with peanut butter or peanut anything." Harry huffed in amusement and also fondness. Moving closer, Harry linked arms with Draco once more.

"Look at you thinking ahead. Alright then, I think it's safe to proceed." Draco looked beseechingly towards the heavens.

"Merlin, save me from this ridiculous man." Harry smacked Draco's arm while laughing and they proceeded into the candy shop. The Gryffindor was a bit surprised when, instead of roaming the store for a while, Draco went straight to the back and asked the chocolatier for his order. Draco held the box carefully, paid and then dragged Harry out of the shop. Once they were outside, Draco opened the box and held a truffle up to Harry's lips.

Harry raised a brow at his Intended's brashness but ate the truffle. He hummed at the delicious flavor that burst over his tongue.

The slowly took turns feeding each other truffles as they walked, talking every now and again as they wandered. A warm feeling settled heavily into Harry's chest and he knew that this was love. He and Draco hadn't ever exchanged the sentiment verbally, but it was clear in their actions and how they gazed at one another (according to their friends who caught them gazing).

Harry paused for a moment, causing Draco to stop mid sentence, as he realized they had made it all the way to the school greenhouse.

"Wow, we walked pretty far. Do you think we should…" Harry motioned back towards the castle, clearly asking if they should turn back. Draco surprised Harry when he shook his head.

"Why don't we head inside? It'll warm us up." Harry snorted suddenly understanding. His Slytherin could be a bit of a baby when it came to the cold. Honestly, Harry was surprised Draco endured such a long walk outside without complaining once. As a silent reward, Harry agreed without comment. They walked inside and Harry was struck dumb.

The whole greenhouse was done up in floating fairy lights and flowers practically dripping from the ceiling. Harry recognized the Star of Bethlehem flower that Draco used to apologize when they were still in school. Roses of all colors dotted the scene but didn't overpower the lilies and tulips.

"Draco…?" Harry stopped turning himself in circles trying to take it all in to see his Intended transfiguring the chocolate box into a smaller jewelry box. His heart stopped when Draco got down on one knee. "What…"

"Harry," Draco started, his voice tight as his throat swelled with emotion. "I know we got off to a bad start. When you rejected my friendship that first year I was hurt, but I knew it was for the best considering the role I had to play. All those times I followed you…secretly I just wanted to be apart of your life, like I could be a friend from afar as I watched you and Hermione and Ron go on adventures. My crush developed early and never died. In fact it bloomed into a fire in my chest our fourth year, watching you compete in the Triwizard Tournament. I can't tell you how many times my heart stopped as you fought to compete and survive." Draco cleared his throat. "I…I would say I'm sorry that our Courtship started with a giant misunderstanding, but truly I'm not. I'm not because I still got to spend time with you. Some of those dates we went on when you had no idea they were dates were some of the best times of my life. This past year…my crush turned to desire and my desire…turned into love. I can't tell you exactly when I realized I love you, because I think the feeling was always in me, just waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. Harry, you are the best part of my life. You complete me. If I were full Veela, I know you would be my mate." Draco and Harry laughed at his last corny line and then Draco shakily opened the jewelry box to reveal a simply, but beautifully crafted ring. "I'm saying all of this to ask you one thing: will you make me the happiest wizard alive and marry me?"

Harry didn't realize he had tears sliding down his cheeks. He was so captivated by the moment, and unbelieving that it was actually happening, that it took him a few seconds to register what Draco had asked of him. Once he realized he nodded frantically before Draco could get any paler.

"Yes! Yes, Draco! A thousand times, yes!" The smile Draco gave him nearly blinded him with its brightness. The Slytherin practically flew to his feet and swept Harry off the ground in a twirling hug. Harry laughed joyously, his arms wrapped around Draco's neck and their eyes locked on one another. The Gryffindor knew it must look ridiculous but he peppered Draco's face with kisses, uncaring if others should see.

Which was a good thing, considering they had an applauding audience suddenly surrounding him.

"Draco, would you put the boy down and give him the ring? You can hug him again once you've done that." Those around them laughed at Narcissa's happy scolding. Draco had told his parents of his plan to propose and of course got Severus' permission to do so before enacting the plan. Ergo their parents were fully aware of the significance of the date and present for the event. A few close friends such as Hermione and Ron were also there to show their support.

The moment the ring slipped onto Harry's finger he dragged Draco, _very_ willingly, into a passionate kiss.

"I love you," Harry finally got the chance to say. Draco smiled at him and they stared into each others' eyes like the young 'madly in love' couples they always made fun of. Their moment was broken by their audience.

Harry was swept into a hug by his father and Draco by _his_ father. Harry laughed and smiled into Snape's chest as his father squeezed him hard.

"I love you, Harry, and I am so proud of you." Harry cursed in his head as his eyes started to well with more tears. Then his father pulled back and delivered the death blow to his fragile hold on his emotions. "Your parents would be happy for you too, Son. They would be right here cheering for you too, as proud as I am." The tears were just freely flowing at that point and Harry gave up trying to fight it. He could only nod his understanding in reply as his emotions completely clogged his throat.

Harry was soon caught up by Narcissa and Snape moved to hug his godson. The Lady Malfoy cupped Harry's cheeks in her hands and kissed his forehead. She laughed kindly when Harry's cheeks pinked as they always did when she showed him affection.

"Look at you already acting like a blushing bride," she said with a wink and another laugh. Harry scowled playfully at her.

"Any more comments about me being the 'bride' and I won't let you help plan the wedding." Narcissa only laughed at the empty threat.

"You clearly don't know me at all, Sweetheart. Molly Weasley and I have already had it planned for weeks now." Harry paled for a moment and then realized it would be a good thing. It meant he wouldn't have to do much else than show up which suited him just fine.

Soon enough, Harry and Draco had been passed around and hugged by everyone present. (Harry wished his had a camera to forever memorialize the horrifically awkward hug Ron and Draco shared.) They stood and talked for a while before Lucius brought out a Portkey. The transport took them all to a nice restaurant in Muggle London to celebrate, despite the fact that Draco and Harry had just eaten only an hour ago. He organized for a private room so they could celebrate the engagement of the two young men without the disapproving stares of the Muggles. Draco and Harry never let go of each other the whole time, however, eventually it was time to go. The families and friends forced Draco and Harry to part ways with many understanding smiles. The two fiancés shared one last kiss before their parents swept them apart and back to their respective homes.

Neither of them stopped smiling for the rest of the day and if anyone checked on them during the night, they would see that their smiles didn't dim once even while they were sleeping.

* * *

 **I just wanted something happy for once! Don't worry though, the angst and drama will be back soon enough. ;) Ta for now!**

 **Please review ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

Imprudence: Chapter 16

 **All the love you guys are throwing at me is making my day. Thank you so much! Also, I might want to apologize for this chapter...well...you'll see.**

 **For now, please enjoy this new chapter. :)**

 ***Warnings: Angst and violence**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Bitterness is Dangerous**

Everything seemed to have its breaking point: a wooden beam, the human body, a person's spirit. Harry knew more about that last one than most people would ever understand in their lifetime. Through the war and now his training and future occupation he would learn even more about the second. Despite much first hand knowledge, there were still some things that never crossed Harry's mind…such as the breaking point of one's sanity.

He wasn't there yet, but he would be soon…if Narcissa and Molly would not stop asking him about color schemes!

Harry slumped against the door to the Healer's Break Room and let out a tired sigh. He had made the mistake of believing Narcissa when she said that she and Molly had already planned his and Draco's wedding. Apparently that meant that they had only spoken about it over tea once or twice.

"Running away from the wedding planning?" Harry huffed at his mentor's teasing and walked over to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"How could you tell? Was it my look of utter defeat or the fear in my eyes?" Healer Jason laughed heartily and patted him reassuringly on the shoulder.

"Trust me, my boy. Just nod along and eventually the day will arrive. You'll only have to worry about them begging for grandkids at that point." Harry snorted in amusement and nodded until the last bit registered.

"Grandkids? But we're both men. I mean unless they expect us to adopt…" Healer Jason raised a brow at his Trainee.

"Didn't your father give you the Talk yet? We're magical beings, Harry. There are lots of things we can do that Muggles can't. Now, pregnancy is harder on a male's body than a woman's but there are plenty of potions out there that ease the process." The Gryffindor was frozen in shock, his mouth gaping open.

"Pregnancy?! That's…but…no! There's no way!" Healer Jason nodded solemnly.

"Of course there is, my boy. I know you grew up in a Muggle household but there was clearly a gap in your education if you don't know about a wizard's ability to become pregnant. Don't worry. You'll figure it out quickly once you rotate through the Maternity Ward. I'll even see what I can do to work your schedule so you'll rotate through before your wedding night, hmmm?" All of the color drained from Harry's face as he suddenly imagined Draco pregnant or worse, _himself_ pregnant with their child. The sound of hysterical laughter brought him back from the nightmarish images plaguing his mind.

"Oh, Harry! Sometimes you are just too gullible! I swear!" Harry stared at his mentor in confusion until he finally figured it out.

"You bloody arsehole! I actually believed you! I was this close to running home to tell Draco that we are never having sex!" Harry threw the closest thing he could grab at Healer Jason but the man just kept laughing. "You're terrible! What if I just went on believing that and the next time a wizard with a stomach bug came in I asked the nurses to run a pregnancy check, huh? I'd be laughed out of the program!" Healer Jason shook his head and wiped his tears.

"Oh, no you wouldn't. No one would ever let you live it down, but you wouldn't be kicked out of the program. Speaking of which, time to get to work." Healer Jason left the room, with a grumbling Harry following close behind.

The day went smoothly despite Healer Jason occasionally reminding Harry that he actually believed him that morning. Harry always made sure to get the man back, whether it was through tripping the man in the hallway or siccing the nurses on him by telling them that Healer Jason was being mean to him. Harry was the favorite of most of the nurses and many, if they weren't the type to flirt with him, took up a mothering role with him. Ergo, it was easy to get them into protective mode over their favorite Healer-in-Training.

They only had one more patient to see when Healer Jason suddenly got called to the Emergency Ward a few floors below. They were a little short staffed that day and Healer Jason was a veteran of Emergency Healing.

"I can handle this last patient, Sir. You go." Healer Jason hesitated for a moment, but Harry kept insisting. "Don't worry about me, Sir. Go help, and let me wrap things up for the day. You've taught me well; I can handle it. Besides, there are plenty of nurses here to help if I can't." Harry said the last bit with a wink, which dragged a laugh from his Mentor. After another couple seconds of hesitation, the man agreed and rushed downstairs. Harry hoped whatever the emergency was turned out okay.

The Gryffindor took a deep breath and steeled himself to see his first patient solo. He took the chart from the nurse on duty, one of the bitter flirty types who wasn't happy that he ignored her advances, and walked into the room.

"Hello, Mr. Rathbone, I understand that you have been experiencing some chest pains?" Harry was looking down at the chart, wondering why the patient was set aside to wait for a Healer instead of sent to the Emergency Ward, when the man answered.

"Yes. But they're better now that you're here, Harry." The Gryffindor's heart stopped beating and he suddenly couldn't take in any breath. There, sitting on the patient bed, was David.

"You..how did you get in here?" David smiled.

"I just walked in, Silly." David leaned forward conspiratorially. "I managed to convince one of the nurses that I was a friend trying to surprise you. Isn't that great?"

"D-David, you shouldn't be here," Harry finally choked out. Then David frowned.

"Why not? I love you and I wanted to see you. I know you said you have someone else, but that's fine. I can take care of that and then we can be together." Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Instead of responding, he turned and walked right out into the hallway, door closing behind him, and called for the nearest nurse.

"How did this patient get in here? He's a Muggle." Unfortunately, the nurse that came over was the bitter one, and she just rolled her eyes.

"He's not a Muggle, Healer Potter-Snape. He's a squib. You know they're allowed treatment here just like any other witch or wizard." She sneered. "I didn't know you were the type to be prejudiced against squibs. Your fiancé must be rubbing off on you." Harry felt like he was in the Twilight Zone. David, a squib? He took a deep breath to calm himself but made his tone hard and commanding.

"Nurse Matilda, I am telling you, this man is a Muggle. His name's not Rathbone either. He lied to get in here to see me." The nurse scoffed.

"Please. Don't flatter yourself." With that the nurse whipped around and started walking away. Harry snapped.

"Nurse Matilda!" The witch froze and looked at him with wide eyes. Everyone in the hallway, a total of three nurses and a patient leaving their appointment, stared in shock as kind-hearted Harry Potter-Snape yelled at a nurse. "A grievous error has been made when _someone_ allowed this _Muggle_ into St. Mungo's. Even if you were correct that this man is a squib, you made another grievous error by putting a man complaining of chest pains into a separate viewing room rather than rushing him to the Emergency Ward. You have allowed your bitterness of my rejection of your affections severely cloud your judgement." Harry's voice was as cold as ice as he laid into the nurse. "Now, if you don't want me going to your superior with this, I suggest you get an Obliviator up here and escort him _out_."

Instead of jumping to do what he said, Nurse Matilda just stood there. Another nurse came up and stood at her side, laying a comforting hand on her arm.

"It wasn't her fault, Harry. I put him in there. He said he was your friend and just wanted to surprise you. There's no reason to shout." Harry turned his glare on the newcomer.

"And you just believed him? That man is not my friend. He is a stalker." The new nurse just rolled her eyes with a small smile on her face, giggling.

"I mean, can you blame him? Plenty of people 'stalk' you, Harry. Your life is all over the papers. They aren't being malicious. And really, when your relationship with that Malfoy boy got announced, you broke plenty of heart. Are you really surprised?" Harry was astounded at the words coming out of the witch's mouth.

"You're just paranoid," Nurse Matilda finally broke her silence. "Not everyone is out to get you." Harry looked around for support but just found a bunch of people milling about, whispering to each other and staring. The Gryffindor scowled.

"If I was anyone else, would you be doing this? If I were a _woman_ and I said that man was stalking me would you call me paranoid? Hell, if I hadn't rejected the highly inappropriate affections of a witch who knew full that I was in a committed relationship and technically _underage_ , would you be standing here saying these things to me, or would you be getting this _malicious_ _MUGGLE_ obliviated and out of here?" The hall was dead silent. Suddenly, the door opened behind him and Harry turned.

David was standing there and he looked angry.

"Why do you want to get rid of me? I love you, Harry." Harry held his hands up in a placating manner, while sending a wandless patronus off to security with a message. Luckily David was too intent on him to notice the glowing stag silently running off down the hall.

"David, I don't want to get rid of you, but you and I both know that you shouldn't be here. Now, why don't we just go downstairs, hmm? I'll walk with you the whole way." Harry's heart was beating a mile a minute and he was doing his best to keep his hands from visibly shaking. He tried to use the calm, even tone Healer Jason had taught him a few weeks ago to use on irritated or confused patients. It wasn't working.

"You were supposed to be mine. I love you. He promised. Why aren't you _mine?!"_ David's eyes flicked to Harry's left hand, and he glared at the metal shining from Harry's ring finger. The next moment, David rushed forward and slammed a dagger into Harry's gut. Harry's eyes widened in shock as he looked down at where blood was now dripping onto the floor. He felt like he was underwater as he slowly looked up and met David's crazed-turned-sorrowful blue eyes. Harry choked on the pain, and his hands slid, slick with blood, as they clutched David's wrist.

The next moment was a blur as the world exploded around them.

* * *

The first thing Harry was aware of was a terrible pain in his side. He could only manage a whimper as he became more aware. The wizard jumped when something tugged on his wrists.

"Wha-?" Harry blinked his eyes open and he stared at his wrists in confusion. Glowing gold restraints held his wrists down on the bed and when he pulled on them they didn't tighten but just stopped his movements. They were standard-issue magical restraints used at St. Mungo's.

"Harry! You're awake!" The call startled him and set off a pounding in his head. Harry winced and shrunk back as whoever called got closer. "Harry? What's wrong?" The pain must have really scrambled his brains because it took him a solid twenty seconds to recognize the voice.

"D-Draco?" Harry slowly opened his eyes and sure enough, his fiancé was staring at him with great concern. The Gryffindor caught sight of dark circles under his Slytherin's eyes and he frowned. "Draco, why do you look like you haven't slept in days? What's wrong?" Draco blinked at him, like Harry had just spouted off Latin or grown a second head.

"I…that's because I haven't slept, Harry. You were out for almost a week. Do…do you remember what happened?" Harry's brows pulled together as he tried to recall what could have happened to put him in a hospital bed. He reached towards his side, where the pain was radiating from, and the memories suddenly barreled into him like a freight train.

"Oh my…I…I'm gonna be sick." Draco conjured a bucket just in time for Harry to expel what little contents he had in his stomach. Everything ached and Harry's groan of pain was muffled by the bucket. His fiancé rubbed his back in comfort. When Harry was done, Draco banished the bucket. The Gryffindor didn't speak for a few moments. Finally,

"Can I get these off," Harry asked quietly while gently tugging on the restraints. Draco nodded, sympathy radiating from him, and stood to leave.

"The…blade you were stabbed with was coated in poison. You were thrashing about in agony and then were having violent hallucinations. They didn't want you to hurt yourself." Draco's eyes spoke to the horror he felt watching Harry go through all of that pain. He shook his head to clear it of the images. "I'll go get your Healer to let him know you're awake and want the restraints gone." Without another word Harry was left alone.

He didn't know what to feel. He was scared and angry and ashamed and in pain and it all culminated in a storm of misery and numbness. His first thought was he was scared to tell Draco. His second was that he wanted his father. Before long, Draco returned with none other than Healer Jason in tow. Harry's mentor smiled at him.

"It's good to see you awake, My Boy. You gave this one and your father quite a fright." Healer Jason hiked his thumb over his shoulder at Draco as he spoke. Harry gave a shaky chuckle.

"Wasn't my intention, I assure you, Sir." Healer Jason smiled and nodded as he moved forward.

"This nice young man says you want your restraints off." Harry was nodding before Healer Jason even finished speaking, making the man laugh quietly. Soon, Harry was free and moving to sit up. "Whoa there, Young Man. Why don't you stayed down for now? The wound had to be done up the Muggle way and I don't want you popping any stitches." Harry didn't fight his mentor since the pain he felt upon moving was enough to make him not want to try again. When Harry had caught his breath again he looked at Draco and his mentor, again wondering where his father was, and said,

"Can someone please tell me what happened after…" He gestured to his wound. Draco glared at Harry's side as if it had insulted his mother.

"Sure, Love…as long as you tell me how this happened." Right then Harry knew. Draco was mad…at _him_.

* * *

 **And there went the happy. :/ Why can't I ever leave well enough alone? I honestly did not expect this chapter to get as violent as it did but...Harry keeps surprising me in his penchant to attract trouble.**

 **In regards to the underage comment Harry made: keep in mind that, as established in Propriety, witches and wizards aren't technically of age until 21. The situation between Draco and Harry is a pureblood tradition and is allowed because it involves the consent and permission of both of their guardians. Nurse Matilda is of "adult" age in this story and therefore her serious propositioning of Harry (not a scene I wrote)** **would be considered bad taste and should someone push the issue, technically illegal.**

 **See you in two weeks!**

 **Please review ;)**


	17. Chapter 17

Imprudence: Chapter 17

 **Deciding to update today because I'm doing a 5k obstacle race tomorrow and figure I'll be far to worn out to update on my usual day of the week. Enjoy the early update!**

 ***Warnings: Angst and violence**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Not Alone**

Harry wanted a hole to appear in the floor and swallow him up. He had made a mistake and he wasn't sure if his fiancé was going to forgive him. Draco was mad at him and Harry knew why but also…not really why. He didn't know what Draco knew or didn't know and instead of asking that question he blurted out a different one.

"Where's Dad?" Draco's mouth fell open for a moment before he snapped it back shut. Clearly he wasn't happy that _that_ was the first thing out of Harry's mouth either.

"I sent him home to get some rest a few hours ago. I sent him a Patronus to tell him that you are awake. He should be here any minute." Draco's tone was hard, his eyes shining with hurt and betrayal. Healer Jason could feel the tension in the air. Before Draco could demand Harry start talking, Severus appeared.

"Of course you wait until I'm gone to wake up, Brat." Harry smiled apologetically at his dad (the man looked like he had aged ten years) but suddenly tears welled in his eyes. The moment his bottom lip started wobbling his Dad's tired smile turned into a frown. "Oh, Harry." Draco and Healer Jason moved out of the way so Snape could get into the room and hug his son. When his dad's arms wrapped around him, Harry started sobbing. It hurt his side terribly, but he couldn't stop.

"It's okay, Harry. It's going to be alright." But at that moment, Harry didn't see how it could be. He shook his head where it was buried in his father's chest. "Yes, it will be, Harry. You have me and Draco and Lucius and Narcissa and all those Weasley brats and Granger. The Aurors have already been alerted to the situation. It's all going to work out." Harry choked on his next sob and got thrown into a coughing fit. Once he got himself under control he looked at Draco.

"Do I…still have you, Draco?" He sounded so pitiful, and it broke Draco's heart. The blond sighed and took his seat next to Harry's bed once more, scooping up Harry's closest hand.

"Of course you do, Love. You will always have me." He paused. "Uncle Sev told me about the letter when he found out what happened. But…why didn't you tell me, Harry?" Harry ached with guilt at Draco's plea and squeezed his hand.

"We were in the middle of the trial and I knew you were worried. I…I didn't want to add to that by telling you about the letter. I also didn't want to let him back into my life in any way. I'm happy and he doesn't have the right to demand a place in my life anymore. After I got the letter, Dad put a block on anything else he could send. Nothing else ever came and I…I just thought it was over. I'm sorry," Harry whispered the last two words. Draco sighed, taking it all in, before lifting Harry's hand to place a kiss on the back of it.

"I'm not happy you kept this from me, especially since it suddenly escalated, but I also understand. I…can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing," Draco admitted sheepishly. Harry gave him a sad smile in return, and they stared at each other quietly. Healer Jason finally broke the silence by clearing his throat.

"Well, Harry…shall I tell you what happened after your assault?" Harry snapped his eyes over to his mentor and nodded quickly. He desperately wanted to know. "Well, the emergency I was called down to assist with involved a young witch with a terrible case of Hazel's Fever. As you will learn, such an illness can be dangerous especially in young children. It causes a person's magic to go on the fritz and lash out when the patient is very agitated or frightened. A Healer-in-Training in our regular program made the mistake of transfiguring a toy for the girl to play with. Unfortunately he transfigured the object into a rabbit, an animal the young girl is apparently terrified of. Her magic exploded rather violently, rocking the entire hospital and blowing quite a hole in our Emergency Ward. Nurse Greenroot ran to stabilize you the moment your assailant Portkeyed away. Luckily the explosion downstairs was fairly well contained, considering, and we were able to fix things rather quickly. I was then informed of your attack and took over your treatment."

At this point, Healer Jason took out his wand and conjured an image of the record of Harry's vitals throughout the initial treatment phase. Severus squeezed Harry tightly when he saw the dangerous numbers floating in front of them.

"The blade he stabbed you with was coated in a rare poison. It's not meant to kill, but it does cause extreme pain, violent hallucinations and prevents any wound it enters from being treated magically." Harry swallowed past the lump in his throat.

"It's meant to make someone suffer." Healer Jason reluctantly nodded.

"Yes. Quite. We restrained you for your own safety and your father was able to keep you calm _enough_ that your rather impressive wild magic did not attack myself or the nurses. Ah, and I am happy to let you know that Nurse Matilda and her friend who helped the assailant sneak in to surprise you have been suspended for two months, unpaid. During that time they are required to attend multiple training programs and seminars on Professionalism in the Workplace, Sexual Harassment in the Workplace and Dealing with Victims of Sexual Assault, Violence or Stalking." When Harry made a face at the last one, Healer Jason gave him a stern look. "Nurse Greenroot told me and the Board of Directors _exactly_ what they said to you. It was dismissive, hurtful, spiteful and victim blaming. Had they spoken that way to any patient in front of a Healer they would have been kicked out immediately. The Aurors who came to investigate your assault even suggested charging them with accessory. However, your father and fiancé said you would likely disagree."

Harry was absolutely stunned. He had never thought that the two nurses would actually get punished for their actions. Besides, he was so used to getting blamed for things he didn't do that he never considered that decent people consider that to be wrong. He had been more astounded that they believed David was anything other than a Muggle and wouldn't believe him.

"Y-yeah. No. I don't think charges are necessary. I…I'm honestly surprised they were punished at all. I mean, they didn't know." Snape shook his head, knowing what his son was thinking.

"This isn't school, Harry, and they aren't children. They are professional adults and will be held to significantly higher standards of conduct than those to which Dumbledore held his students," Severus told his son. Harry was still shocked but in a pleasant way. Although a part of him worried that the whole debacle would make other nurses or hospital staff wary of him.

"Well, alright then. Do you know when I'll be able to come back to work?" Healer Jason huffed in amusement and shook his head.

"You've been under the throes of a torturous poison for almost a week and have a stitched up hole in your side that can't be treated magically, and you want to go back to work already? You, young man, are more than a little unusual." Harry smiled and shrugged, wincing when the movement tugged on his stitches.

"Like I said, I'm not letting David take away my new life. I'm happy now. So….?" Healer Jason smiled at his student and rolled his eyes fondly.

"In another couple of days the poison should be completely flushed from your system, and we'll be able to speed up everything with magic and potions. After that, I'd say you could be back almost immediately." Harry smiled and nodded his understanding. He didn't like his training being interrupted so much. "And don't worry about all the missed days. I'll find stuff to keep you occupied and all the work you put in these past few months has earned you some leeway with the Program Directors." Harry's smile widened and his dad squeezed his hand with his own smile. Unfortunately the moment didn't last long.

"I still want to know how this lunatic got in here. He's a Muggle. Can he just waltz in here whenever he wants?" Draco's words brought them back to the severity of the situation. Surprisingly, it was a newcomer that answered the blond Slytherin.

"We think he had help," came a familiar voice from the door way.

"Auror Winthrop! Are you working the case?" Harry relaxed upon seeing his guard's familiar face. They had crossed paths a few more times at the Ministry when Harry would visit Arthur or Kingsley. Harry learned that Auror Winthrop had a pretty spectacular track record when it came to solving violent crimes. The man in question smiled kindly at Harry and nodded.

"Yes. When word got out that the Savior of the Wizarding World was attacked I was immediately called in. Apparently, my superiors think we're friends." The Auror's smirk indicated that the man was joking. Harry chuckled.

"What a dreadful thought. Maybe they just wanted the best on such a high profile case." Winthrop scowled as Harry ribbed him which only made the Gryffindor laugh more. They usually bantered back and forth when they met up. The Auror would joke that he only talked to Harry for the fame and Harry teased Winthrop about his near perfect close rate after he caught a cadet hero-worshipping the man.

"You said you think the Muggle had help," Draco prompted to bring the conversation back on track. He had nothing against Harry's friendship with the Auror, but he was a bit more concerned with Harry's attacker being at large. As hoped for, Auror Winthrop dropped back into professional mode.

"Yes. Harry was right in saying that the man is a Muggle, though some of my teammates and the two nurses kept insisting that he is a Squib. We had an expert come out and examine the wards on the hospital. They found a very small hole, the edges of which reeked of dark magic." Severus scowled and Harry frowned at the new information. "The hole was repaired and the wards strengthened," he said to reassure everyone. "Also, the assailant left some DNA behind when the building was rocked by the explosion downstairs. He must have gotten cut and left some blood at the scene before Portkeying away using a very _illegal_ Portkey. The blood sample proved without a doubt that he's a Muggle, not a Squib. Ergo, he had help."

Harry racked his brain for a possible answer. David was a Muggle, as were his two parents…

"David has a magical cousin," he suddenly blurted out, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. "He sent me a couple letters at Hogwarts last year using his cousin's owl. He didn't tell me his cousin's name but the owl was called Fangorn." Auror Winthrop got his notebook out and wrote the new information down. "I'm sorry I don't know much else," Harry apologized. Auror Winthrop shook his head.

"Don't apologize, Harry. That's still something. I can check the Owl Registry for any birds by that name and see who the owner is." Harry's brows pulled together.

"There's an Owl Registry?" Everyone else in the room blinked at him.

"I keep forgetting that you really don't know much about our world," Severus mused. "Yes, the Ministry keeps track of the owl's owned by wizards and witches. They deliver mail so it's important to keep a relatively close eye on them." Harry's mind flashed to Hedwig and his heart ached for a moment. He missed his first friend dearly, but Shane was helping fill that hole bit by bit.

"Well, Harry, be sure to let me know if you think of anything else. Just pop by the office or send me a floo message. We do have a protective detail available should you request it." Here Auror Winthrop paused, waiting for an answer from Harry. The young wizard thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"I really just floo between here and home most days, and if I ever go out I'm with my friends or family. Wait, what about them? David said that he could get rid of Draco so we could be together!" Harry gripped Draco's hand tightly, terrified of the thought. Auror Winthrop was quick to reassure him, however.

"I've already ordered my team out to Malfoy Manor to build up the ward strength. Lord and Lady Malfoy as well as you, Mr. Malfoy, have the option of a protective detail as well. Should any of you choose not to, we recommend hyper vigilance. Be careful of any strange mail or messages from someone you haven't talked to in a long time. If you feel like you are being followed or watched, get to someplace safe immediately and contact myself or my team." The auror handed out his card to Harry, Severus and Draco. "We are going to catch this guy and the person helping him. Don't worry, and stay safe." With a small wave he left, leaving the room oddly quiet.

Healer Jason broke the silence.

"I know that a lot has happened since you've woken up, Young Man, but I need to run a few tests to check on the wound. Once I'm done, I'll leave you be. I can have the nurses at the front desk contact your friends for you, if you'd like? Let them know you're awake." At those words, Harry suddenly felt exhausted. It had been such a roller coaster from the moment he woke up, and he just wanted to go back to sleep. However, he knew Hermione must be frantic and the Weasleys all worried. He also would like to see Lucius and Narcissa. A hug from Narcissa suddenly felt like a powerful need.

"Yeah, I'd appreciate that, Healer Jason." The man nodded and motioned for Severus and Draco to remove their hands from Harry so he could run his tests. Harry turned his head to Draco.

"Do you think your parents could stop by?" Draco nodded emphatically.

"Absolutely. Mother has been rather frantic these past few days, and Father won't stop pacing which makes her even more anxious. I'll floo call them right now." At a pause between tests, Draco swooped in to kiss Harry on the cheek and then left to let his parents know that his fiancé was awake.

Once he was gone, Harry looked at his dad. Tears filled his eyes again.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Dad." Severus's own eyes started to fill and he cleared his throat. His expression was solemn.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Son. I'm sorry I didn't treat the situation more seriously." Father and son shared a look that clearly told the other to stop blaming themselves for the situation at hand. After a few minutes, they gave each other sad smiles and sat, or laid in Harry's case, in comfortable silence as Healer Jason went about his work.

* * *

 **I just keep telling myself it will get better...and then I make it worse. Well...at least I always guarantee a happy ending. Maybe not a happy journey, but a happy ending. Keep that in mind while reading if you are concerned. ;)**

 **See you in two weeks!**

 **Please review ;)**


	18. Chapter 18

Imprudence: Chapter 18

 **I survived the 5k and am now on break! This means I get to sleep in _and_ do my homework! Whoopee! Oh well, at least you guys get a new chapter. Yay!**

 ***Warnings: Angst and violence**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **You've Got Mail**

"Hello, Harry. How are you?" Harry smiled tiredly at Hermione as he sat down across from her. They met up for a tea break at a cafe between St. Mungo's and the Ministry building. It had been two weeks since Harry was attacked.

"I'm doing alright, 'Mione. My side twinges every so often, but Healer Jason said that's normal. What about you? Anything exciting going on at your Internship?" Hermione knew her best friend was deliberately avoiding answering what she really wanted to know, but she allowed it for the time being.

"Well I got to witness a fabulous case where a witch attempted to sue a wizard, claiming he stole her birthright some twenty years ago. She kept citing a law that dated back to the 1600's and…" Harry smiled fondly as Hermione rambled on about the case. He couldn't be happier for her and all of his friends. They were all where they wanted to be and living their lives. His mind drifted to Draco and his smile softened even more, his thumb absent-mindedly turning his engagement ring.

When Hermione finally broke for air, she shrugged.

"But aside from that it's mostly just grunt work. My mentor made it clear that despite my grades in school and natural intelligence, I still have to work for my position. Though he gave me permission to hex the next pompous wizard who demands I bring them tea like a good little secretary." Harry snorted and then winced at the sudden sharp zing through his side. Hermione noticed because her expression pulled together into a concerned frown.

"I thought your Healer said the pain would be almost nonexistent at this point. Are you certain all of the poison got flushed from your system? I read that-" Her best friend held up his hand to cut her off.

"'Mione, it's alright. And please don't tell me more facts about the poison or healing rates or pester me about relaxing more. I have a Potions Master for a dad and a Potions Master-in-Training for a fiancé plus twenty-some overprotective nurses at my workplace. Trust me, I hear enough about it daily." When the witch across from him only frowned more, he sighed and took her hand. "It's not the poison, 'Mione. I swear. It's all gone and has been for days now. Healer Jason thinks it's partially the initial Muggle treatment of the wound and…a bit of psychosomatic pain thrown in."

Of course Hermione knew exactly what that was. She squeezed his hand.

"Do you think…if they catch David it will go away? The psychosomatic pain?" Harry grimaced as he thought about the fact that his stalker and attacker was still on the loose…along with an unknown accomplice.

"Maybe. I hope so. Merlin, I hope so." Harry's head bowed as he tried to calm his magic. It had been hyperactive ever since the attack, and he had to work extra hard to keep it in check. Their tea cups rattled for a few moments before he reigned it in.

"They'll catch him, Harry, and the person who helped him. It'll all work out." She smiled sadly at his cynically skeptical expression, then turned it into a bright, over-enthusiastic smile. "Now, tell me all about the wedding preparations. How are they coming along?" Harry tipped his head back and groaned in pseudo-irritation, while Hermione giggled.

The rest of the friend-date was spent talking about inane, happy things, and Harry loved every second of it.

* * *

Draco was bent over a potion, brows furrowed in thought. The color was a hair off the mark, but if it didn't start to smoke in the next few minutes then it should straighten itself out by the time he finished. The potion he was developing was actually brewed in four separate stages, a technique he hoped to talk about at conferences should his potion work as planned. He was currently brewing the second stage and praying desperately that he wouldn't have to start over.

"Draco, how is it coming along?" The wards on the door to the lab had alerted Draco to his godfather's presence before the man spoke. Many Potion's Masters insist on wards because of the rather volatile nature of the potions they work with. It would be bad for everyone involved should the witch or wizard brewing become startled.

"We'll see in a few minutes," he muttered. Severus didn't bother his godson until he saw Draco put a stasis charm over the cauldron. Once the blond Slytherin turned around Snape held out a letter for him.

"This came for you. General mail owl. I ran all of the detection charms I could on it. It's clean." They had all been very careful with their mail since Harry's attack. Harry had insisted on it since David had threatened Draco before stabbing him at the hospital. Draco was still wary of the letter his godfather gave him, because he didn't recognize the handwriting.

When he opened it and took out the contents his eyes widened and he paled. He held a series of moving photographs, all showing Harry on his friend date with Hermione. Across Harry's body in each picture was the word _MINE_ written in dramatic blood red.

"Dear Merlin…" Severus quickly came over and cursed when he saw what Draco was holding.

"I'll contact Auror Winthrop. You contact St. Mungo's and make sure Harry is alright." Draco quickly ran to the second closest floo as Severus took the one in his living room to contact the Auror's office. It would have probably been quicker for Draco to apparate to St. Mungo's than floo call but then he would have to hold himself back from attacking any of Harry's coworkers that tried to keep him from his fiancé.

He huffed and rolled his eyes as the woman on the other end of the floo asked him to wait for a moment while she checked on "Healer Potter's availability." It felt like forever by the time Harry's head popped through the floo.

"Hey, Draco, what's wrong? You never call me at work." Draco let out a relieved breath and his knees almost gave way with relief. "Draco? You look extra pale, Love. What's wrong?" Draco took a few breaths to calm himself before telling Harry what he received in the mail. He expected Harry to get scared or more concerned. Draco wasn't expecting his fiancé to become enraged.

"How dare that piece of- I'm going to kill him!" Harry raged for a few more minutes while Draco watched on, mouth falling open in shock at the words coming out of his Intended's mouth. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Draco couldn't help but snicker a little and comment,

"I'm tempted to wash your mouth out with soap after all that cursing, Love." Harry's face scrunched up, briefly recalling his Aunt doing such a thing to him once as a kid, before scowling at his fiancé.

"Given the amount of crap David has put me through and is now dragging the people I care about through, I think I'm entitled to more than a little swearing." After a pause, Harry gave Draco a sly smirk. "Besides you'd have to catch me to wash my mouth out." Draco's mouth dropped open at the heated look in Harry's eyes and they both stared at each other for a few moments before bursting out laughing.

"Harry…just…no…no flirting…no flirting for you…" Draco got out between gasps. Harry's hand appeared for a moment to wipe tears of laughter from his cheeks and he nodded.

"Yeah, that was bad. I agree."

"I take it Harry is alright then?" Snape's voice startled Draco and he turned to see his godfather, arms crossed over his chest, and a scowl firmly in place on his face.

"Hey, Dad. Yeah I'm fine. We just…I don't know…we just needed to get out some tension." Severus rolled his eyes but the scowl fell away from his face.

"Ridiculous children, I swear. For your information, I told Auror Winthrop about the letter and the photos. He's sending some Aurors to check on Ms. Granger and coming to see you just to ask you some questions and check the wards of the hospital again." Harry nodded in understanding.

"Hermione will be pissed that she didn't notice we were being watched…and once Ron finds out he's going to attach himself to her to the point it drives her mad. He's been getting extra…I don't know…protective lately. He does the same with me when I meet up with him, but he's extra over the top with Hermione even though she can defend herself just as well as any of us." Draco knew first hand what Harry was talking about, having witnessed it himself.

"You're like his little brother, Harry, and Hermione is the love of his life. He knows you two are capable of defending yourselves but he cares enough that he wants to protect you all himself as well, give you that extra bit of defense." They chatted for a little longer before Harry insisted that he had to go back to work, especially if Auror Winthrop would be coming over soon and interrupting his work _again_.

They signed off and Draco immediately felt on edge again. He scowled at himself as he stood and started walking back to the lab with his godfather.

"I just saw him. I shouldn't be this antsy." Severus chuckled a bit and squeezed Draco's shoulder.

"Mr. Weasley is not the only one getting extra protective, Draco."

* * *

Harry was starting to get paranoid that the program directors at St. Mungo's were going to think he was too much trouble to have in their program. Despite Healer Jason's reassurances to the contrary, he couldn't get that thought out of the back of his mind. As such, he couldn't help but sigh in annoyance when he was called to the break room to speak with Auror Winthrop. He knew the man was doing his job and he knew that his crazy ex was after him. That didn't mean he couldn't be frustrated at the whole situation interrupting his life.

Walking into the break room, Harry felt a lot of his annoyance slip away when he saw the dark rings under Auror Winthrop's eyes. Harry waved kindly to the other Healer-in-Training currently downing a giant mug of coffee. He cast a Privacy Charm around himself and the Auror as he sat down across from his friend at one of the tables.

"Hey, Harry. Sorry to bother you." Harry waved off the man's apology.

"It's fine. I'm sorry you have to deal with this crazy situation. Can I get you some coffee? You look like you haven't slept in two weeks." Winthrop huffed out a tired laugh and rubbed his face.

"I would actually really appreciate that." Harry smiled and went to get the poor man a cup of coffee. There was also plenty of tea, because really, it is still Britain, but a number of healers found coffee worked better at keeping them alert for their extra-long shifts. When he returned with a steaming mug, Auror Winthrop thanked him profusely.

"It's not a problem. So, I assume you're here to ask me about what my Dad told you? I'll be honest. I didn't notice anyone watching us at all. Merlin, even if I did I probably brushed it off as being paranoid and forgot about it." Auror Winthrop nodded.

"I figured as much, but I thought I'd still drop by and ask. I also had some news for you that might make you reconsider the protection detail." Harry raised a brow in question and his heart rate kicked up a notch. "We got nowhere with the Owl Registry. Whoever the owl you met belongs to found a way around the mandatory registration." Harry huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Of course they did. So what _did_ you find?" The Auror gulped down some more coffee and then set down his mug to focus on explaining.

"We decided to start looking in the Muggle world. One of my team members decided we could get some valuable information by talking to your Aunt." Harry winced and rubbed a hand down his tired face.

"I imagine that went well," he said, sarcasm dripping from his words. Winthrop huffed a laugh and nodded in commiseration.

"Yeah. She was certainly not the sweetest person I've ever chatted with. She became rather cooperative though when I reminded her that her ability to talk to her son was a privilege that could be revoked." Harry smirked but didn't comment. "She told us everything she knew about David's family including their last name: Smith. Not a very inspiring name and one that leads to mountains of useless paperwork when you search it in a database. We also got their address during their stay on Privet Drive and that's when we found something interesting." Harry raised his brow.

"What was it? Did they have dead bodies in the basement or something?" Auror Winthrop shuddered at the idea and shook his head.

"Thankfully no. However, when they filled out the paperwork for the house, they signed under a different, much more interesting name: Braghorn." Harry waited for his friend to elaborate seeing as that name meant nothing to him. "That's an unusual name for a Muggle family, especially given its history in the Wizarding World. The Braghorns were well known to lean heavily towards the Dark Arts and side with whoever was deemed the "bad guy" in any sort of wizarding dispute. They were such a violent family and got involved in so many duels that they were all but wiped out. The few that survived were hunted with extreme prejudice by the Ministry not long after the mess with Grindelwald settled and fled to the Muggle world to hide." Harry furrowed his brow.

"That is interesting, but you said that David is definitely a Muggle. So did the magic die out in the family?" Auror Winthrop made a so-so motion with his hand.

"Given the low number of family members left and their absolute distaste for Muggles, most people decided to believe they'd rather let themselves die out than breed with non-magic folk. Some, however, knew that the Braghorns will do anything when they're desperate. I think that David's family is a Muggle off-shoot. Given the parent's attempts to go by a rather bland, unassuming last name, they likely have a good idea what their real name is linked to. We think David managed to find a cousin with magic. The Braghorns likely developed multiple spells to help them evade Ministry detection. If they kept up with the war in the Wizarding World they would be firmly on the side of the Dark Lord." Harry nodded his understanding.

"So they would be all for anything that hurt me. David somehow develops this obsession, and his Dark Arts cousin is all too happy to push him further over the edge and help him in his crazy scheme." Auror Winthrop nodded in agreement.

"Yes, that is what we are thinking. However, there is something else you need to know. There was a family that was close to the Braghorns before they were essentially destroyed. The Braghorns turned to this family when they were being hunted by the Ministry but were given no shelter and were forced to hide in the Muggle world. Betrayal is not taken lightly by the Braghorns and anyone in the family would still hold an extreme grudge against those who betrayed them." Harry closed his eyes and dreaded the answer to his next question.

"Who was the family that betrayed them?" Auror Winthrop hesitated, knowing his answer would upset his young friend.

"…the Malfoys."

* * *

 **TBT to when you remember there are other people in Harry's life than just his dad and the Malfoy's and throw in Hermione really quick before anyone realizes you forgot they exist. Lol. XD**

 **Please review ;)**


	19. Chapter 19

Imprudence: Chapter 19

 **I have been on this computer all day doing work and haven't touched my stories once. How sad! However, I do have a new chapter for you! Also please note that this week was extremely busy for me and I had very little time to get any writing done. As such, please be understanding should my next update be a little late or short. Thank you!**

 **Warnings: Angst**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Gaining Some Understanding**

When Harry returned home that evening Draco was still there. Harry couldn't help the strained smile he gave his fiancé. After speaking with Auror Winthrop earlier that day he wanted the chance to speak with Lucius about the situation before telling Draco about the Braghorns. Luckily Auror Winthrop did not think there was much of a threat against the Malfoys given David's focus on Harry, so he allowed Harry to be the one to break the news.

Draco stayed for dinner, something that would normally please Harry immensely but instead set him more on edge. Severus kept glancing at him throughout the meal so Harry knew to expect an interrogation once his fiancé left.

Harry walked Draco to the Floo and the blond kissed his cheek. He didn't leave right away though.

"Harry…what's bothering you?" Harry opened and closed his mouth a few times before smiling and shaking his head. Draco interrupted him before he spoke. "Whatever is about to come out of your mouth is going to be a lie and I don't want to hear it." Harry snapped his mouth shut and narrowed his eyes in slight irritation at his Intended. Draco sighed, rolled his eyes and took Harry's hands in his own. "I didn't mean to snap, Harry, but I'm tired of you keeping things from me, especially now."

The Gryffindor bowed his head and his irritation left him. He knew where Draco was coming from and knew he would be mad if he was in Draco's shoes.

"I…I need you to trust me. I want to speak with someone before I tell you but I _will_ tell you. Can we…can we leave it at that? Please?" Draco held Harry's pleading gaze for a few moments before letting out another sigh, tired this time, and nodding reluctantly.

"Alright, Harry, I'll leave it at that. On one condition." Harry braced himself for the ominous condition as Draco's face had grown very serious. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid." The Gryffindor huffed out a relieved laugh which only earned him an indignant look from his Slytherin.

"I'm a Gryffindor, Love. You know I can't promise that." Draco didn't seem to find it that funny, so Harry stopped laughing and laid a kiss on Draco's cheek. He pulled back and looked Draco straight in the eyes. "I can promise you that I won't deliberately put myself in dangerous situations and that I will keep you in the loop. I don't plan on throwing myself on a sword anytime soon. My hero's-complex doesn't make me that much of a martyr." That finally got a little smile out of his blond so Harry relaxed.

Their moment was broken up by a rather annoyed meow coming from their feet. Harry raised a brow at Shane. The kitten had certainly grown but he was still a sassy little ankle biter.

"I think he's going to claw my eyes out if I don't let you devote all of your attention to him." As if agreeing with him, Shane meowed again and then swatted up in Draco's general direction. Draco huffed and rolled his eyes. He kissed Harry's forehead once more before finally leaving. Once he was gone, Harry stared at the flames for a few moments before looking down at his cat.

"You are ridiculous. Why do you pick on him so much?" Shane meowed sharply and then stood and walked towards his favorite arm chair. Harry huffed in amusement. With a wave of his hand he was in his pajamas and went to follow his cat. He picked Shane up, sat in the chair and then placed the now-purring feline into his lap. Harry could feel his tension draining with each pass of his hand over Shane's black fur. Harry closed his eyes and just allowed himself to let go of his stress and worry even for just a moment.

He eventually heard his father come into the room and settle into a chair next to him. Harry didn't open his eyes and waited for the inevitable question.

"Why do you not want to tell Draco whatever it is you have learned until you speak with someone else?" It wasn't exactly the question that Harry was anticipating but it fell into the same category.

"Two reasons: I want to have a fuller picture of the situation before I present it to Draco and I want this person to be prepared should Draco likely get angry and lash out as he is want to do on occasion." Snape's lip twitched up at the corner at Harry's phrasing. The young man had picked up on Snape's cadence and used it occasionally, much to his amusement and Ron Weasley's horror.

"You aren't going to speak with someone dangerous are you?" At that Harry opened one eye and shot his dad an indignant look.

"I hardly think Lucius Malfoy is dangerous." Realizing what had just come out of his mouth, Harry groaned internally and rolled his eyes under his lids.

"Lucius? What does he have to do with this?" Harry pet Shane a little vigorously earning him an annoyed meow from the cat.

"According to Auror Winthrop the person they believe is helping David has some sort of long held, passed down through the generations grudge against the Malfoy family. I was hoping to speak with Lucius about it tomorrow since I only have a half shift." After a pause he tacked on, "And yes I will tell you what I learn, _after_ I speak with Lucius." Severus was quiet for a few moments, rolling everything around in his head. Eventually he slowly nodded.

"Very well. I will accept that, for now. But if you don't tell me everything right after your talk with Lucius I will go full greasy Dungeon Bat on you," he warned, wagging his finger to emphasize his point. Harry's lips pulled up in a half smile as he agreed to his father's terms.

They spent the rest of their evening in comfortable silence before parting ways for bed.

* * *

Harry stood in the foyer of Malfoy Manor, anxious and not entirely sure why. It wasn't like he had never been to the Manor before. It wasn't like Lucius wasn't already a second father figure to him. Perhaps he was anxious about what he would find out. He was jostled from his quickly downward spiraling thoughts by the arrival of one Lord Malfoy.

"Harry! It's great to see you. Come! We can have lunch in the sun room." Harry's smile felt brittle as he followed his future father-in-law to one of the more beautiful rooms in the Manor. Indeed a small lunch was waiting for them. Harry's shift at St. Mungo's was an early morning shift and he hadn't eaten since five that morning. Needless to say he was happy to see food. However, the upcoming conversation had the potential to make him lose his appetite.

They settled in and Lucius started talking right away about all of the progress made on the orphanage and the charity he was going to run in Harry's place. The orphanage was nearly ready to be presented to the Wizarding World and accept children while the charity was just waiting on approval from Gringotts. The topic got Harry to relax some and allowed him the opportunity to eat as well. Eventually though, Lucius finally brought it up.

"While talk of the orphanage's progress is exciting, I understand you had a reason for your visit. Your message sounded rather…formal. Is everything alright?" Harry set down his tea and didn't answer right away. Finally, knowing he couldn't put it off any longer, he spoke.

"I'm sure Draco told you about the letter he received, the one with photos of Hermione and me on our tea break." Lucius scowled immediately and nodded.

"Yes, it was quite disturbing to hear. I am glad the man did not see fit to take the opportunity to harm either you or Ms. Granger, but it unnerves me that he was able to get that close undetected." Harry grimaced.

"I agree. Auror Winthrop visited me later that day to ask me about the incident though I had nothing to share. He then updated me on some progress they have made on the case." Lucius looked suitably curious and tilted his head in indication for Harry to continue. "They started searching for information on David's family in the Muggle world, trying to see how he could have gotten in contact with a wizard that would help him. They found out that his family had been living in the Dursley's neighborhood under an assumed name and they were actually a Muggle branch of a wizarding family thought to have gone…well...extinct."

Lucius furrowed his brow.

"That's quite a development, although…I'm still not sure what about this information would inspire you to speak with me one-on-one." Harry picked at the hem of his shirt, not quite meeting Lucius's eyes.

"Auror Winthrop said the family David is a part of…he said their name was Braghorn." Harry lifted his eyes just in time to see Lucius lose all color in his face.

"He…no, it… _Merlin._ " Harry had expected any number of reactions but devastation was not one of them. Lucius covered his mouth with a shaking hand for a moment before taking a deep breath and gathering himself together. "So…the magical cousin David mentioned to you in his letters…" Harry nodded.

"Probably one of the few Braghorns left with any magic, unless there are more hiding from the Ministry." Lucius nodded his understanding slowly, his color still not coming back.

"I…I don't…" The Malfoy Lord closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and when he opened them he finally seemed composed. "You have found me on a rare occasion, young man, where I am struck dumb." When Lucius didn't continue right away Harry decided to clear the air a little bit.

"I don't blame you, Mr. Malfoy." Lucius's expression told Harry that he hit the nail on the head. "I'll admit, when I first heard about the Braghorns and some grudge they have against your family, a small, irrational part of my brain was angry. However, I decided I wanted to speak with you about it and get the full picture before that small part grew. Again, I don't blame you for these psycho's acting out, but the scrawny student who grew up in Hogwarts getting blamed and wrapped up in things that weren't his fault…that small part of me is still a little…irritated." Lucius huffed in a bitter laugh.

"It is perfectly understandable for you to have such feelings, Harry. For all that myself and my family put you through in these past few years…I thought that once Voldemort was defeated…once you and Draco started Courting…once you became a part of our family…there would be no way we could hurt you again. Now I am confronted with the fact that we cannot escape our pasts no matter how much we long to." Lucius hung his head but was startled from his dark thought by Harry reaching out and taking his hand.

"I didn't come here to drag out your family's dark past, Mr. Malfoy. I wanted to get your side of the story but I also wanted to warn you. If a magical Braghorn is involved, I don't think I will be the only target in this situation. Yes, David is focussed on me and would probably try to eliminate Draco if given the chance. But his magical cousin could decide to go after you as well or try and get you caught in the crossfire. For all we know…maybe I'm not the actual target and David is just…a distraction." Lucius's other hand came over to pat the one Harry had on top of his own.

"Your capacity to care for others, Harry, astounds me daily." After a few moments, Lucius finally gathered himself enough to explain his family's history with the Braghorns. "You likely know that, similar to other Pureblood families, the Malfoys were always obsessed with maintaining their status. Years ago my great grandfather had an alliance with the Braghorn family that disgraced my grandfather. The Braghorns were becoming more violent and more of a black spot on anyone's reputation who associated with them. My grandfather had his pockets filled with Ministry officials but even they were wary of someone who's family was linked to such a cruel group of individuals. He tried to persuade his father to rescind the alliance, to see what such a connection would do to the family image. My great grandfather refused saying that 'Malfoy's always keep their word.'" Lucius paused thinking on all the times he used that same phrasing to keep Draco in line or to tear down another's confidence or achievement. With a slight shake of his head he continued.

"The year before the Braghorns' complete disgrace my great grandfather became ill and passed away. My grandfather mourned, though from reading his journal I can tell he was secretly relieved to have the old man out of the way. Then…when the Braghorns hit bottom and turned to my grandfather for help…he sent them packing. He did not honor the alliance his father created…forever dooming the rest of the Malfoy family to endure the wrath of one of the most vengeful wizarding families to ever exist." The Malfoy Patriarch stood and looked out of a glass panel and onto the beautiful gardens. "Some part of me had hoped…prayed even that _that_ family had died out and eventually the Wizarding World became a myth to future generations. I suppose this is my penance though." Harry watched the hope literally vanish from his future father-in-law's face.

"This isn't your fault, Sir. You don't deserve to have a maniac coming after you. You don't deserve to have the actions of your ancestors be brought down on your head. You and my dad and just… _everyone_ keeps reminding me that I'm not alone anymore, that I have people to help me. The same goes for you, Sir. This isn't penance or karma or whatever you want to call it. It's a psycho with a grudge and you don't have to accept it or face it by yourself." Lucius turned back to his son's fiancé and Harry actually _saw_ the determination rise in the man's grey eyes.

"Damn straight."

* * *

 **I know that the last line is very un-Malfoy like but I just really wanted him to say it. XD**

 **Please review ;)**


	20. Chapter 20

Imprudence: Chapter 20

 **I literally just finished this chapter 15 minutes ago...I'm so tired!**

 **Warnings: Angst**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **When Snake's Imitate Lions**

As Harry had predicted, Draco was _not_ happy. _Hermione would be impressed with my patience,_ Harry couldn't help but think as he sat there listening to his fiancé rant. The young Slytherin was turning red with anger, cursing his ancestors and the Braghorns. The Healer-in-Training let him get it out of his system, knowing he needed it.

Only when Draco started heading to the Floo to go 'give his father a piece of his mind' did Harry interrupt.

"You know it's not his fault, Draco. Yelling at him wont make a difference." Draco stopped and fumed where he stood.

"But it might make me feel better," he muttered angrily. Harry stood and wrapped his arms around Draco from behind, pressing his forehead between the blond's shoulder blades.

"Trust me. He feels bad enough about this already." Draco sighed heavily but relaxed back into his fiancé. "I wanted to talk to him first to have a better understanding of the situation. I was angry too when I first found out, but I knew that your father would never intentionally hurt me. He was really ashamed when I spoke with him." After a pause, "I also offered to break the news to you because I figured I had a better chance of getting through your initial, instinctive anger than he would have."

Draco let out a bitter huff.

"Well…you're not wrong." Harry squeezed his arms a little tighter around his fiancé before letting go. Draco took a seat next to Harry and sat in silence for a little while.

"So you think…you think that whoever is helping your ex is really doing this to hurt dad? Or me?" Harry took Draco's hand and nodded.

"Yeah. From what I know about relatively smart psychopaths they are willing to do whatever it takes to reach their end goal. Be honest, if someone wanted to hurt you, what would they have to do?" Draco closed his eyes.

"They'd have to hurt you or my family." Harry nodded.

"And if they wanted to hurt your father?" The blond scowled.

"They'd have to hurt me, Mother, or you and Uncle Sev. By helping their cousin, this Braghorn will kill two birds with one stone: take out a powerful Light figurehead and get revenge on my family." Draco dropped his head onto Harry's shoulder in defeat.

"Yes." Harry paused. "But that's not going to happen." Draco looked up at Harry and raised a brow, waiting for an explanation. "I've lived through extremely abusive relatives, a corrupt Ministry, a TriWizard Tournament, being attacked every year, a Dark Lord and a group of people who decided kidnaping and attempting to kill me was saving me. I'm not trying to be cocky, but an obsessive ex and another psycho out for revenge don't scare me."

"Harry, they've already gotten to you once! Merlin's beard, I'm scared!" Harry's expression was set in stone.

"Nope. I was scared before but now I'm just angry. I refuse to let them ruin my life. We are going to catch them. We are going to get married, and we are going to live a happy life like normal people get to do." Draco just stared at him with his mouth dropped open in disbelief. After a few moments Draco sighed, shook his head and smiled at him indulgently.

"Oh my brave Lion…you really are quite ridiculous. How ever did I fall for you?" Harry finally cracked a smile.

"Clearly my gorgeous body and humble personality." Draco barked out a laugh and punched his fiancé's arm. Soon the two young men were lost in a play wrestling match on the couch. Severus rolled his eyes fondly at his son and godson from where he stood in the kitchen. He kept his ears open in case he had to break it up - for propriety's sake, of course - but his mind was racing. His son spoke without fear, but he knew deep down Harry was terrified.

Snape had been inside Harry's mind before and met the boy's fear. Harry would not be able to completely suppress such a strong part of himself. He could only hope this anger his son spoke of did not drive him to do something rash.

* * *

"You said he'd be mine! You said he'd be mine! Where is he?!" Nathaniel Braghorn grit his teeth together as he listened to his cousin throwing a tantrum. He had known that using Imperio on a Muggle for too long could cause some side effects but David was almost becoming too much to handle.

"Calm down, David. You will have him soon enough. But first I need to get what I need, right?" David scowled and pouted like a child.

"Why do you get to come first? I want Harry now!" Nathaniel gripped David's shoulders painfully.

"Remember what happened last time I let you try and get what you wanted first?" David whimpered at the pain his cousin was causing him but also looked down in shame.

"I…I hurt my Harry." Nathaniel nodded in exaggerated agreement.

"That's right. But if we do this my way, your Harry won't be hurt." David slowly nodded his understanding. Nathaniel smiled condescendingly and patted David's cheek, causing his cousin to flinch away.

Nathaniel was about to order his useless cousin off to his room and out of his hair when David suddenly gripped his head in pain.

"Ugh…what…my head…why am I here…?" Nathaniel scowled and brought out his wand. David jerked his hands up and hit Nathaniel's wand, knocking it from the wizard's grasp. Nathaniel yelled in anger.

"How dare you, you filthy Muggle!?" David scrambled back and fell. He scuttled on his hands and feet backwards trying to get away from the irate wizard.

"I don't…I don't…Nate? Nate, what's happening? What are you doing? Where's…Harry?" David turned his head and saw some sort of sick shrine. There were hundreds of pictures, _moving pictures_ , of Harry and some blond man. Over a lot of the pictures Harry's head had a broken heart around it while the blond man's head had a giant angry 'X' over it. David stopped trying to get away from Nathaniel as he became entranced with the pictures of Harry.

He reached out a hand and stroked his finger over Harry's smiling face in the picture closest to him. The next moment however he pulled away, shaking his head, confused and disoriented.

David didn't have another moment to take stock of the situation before he was suddenly hit with _Crucio_.

Nathaniel stood over his writhing cousin. He lifted and re-cast Crucio four more times before finally letting up. Nathaniel crouched down and lifted David's head by his hair. He sneered into the crying boy's face and lifted his wand.

 _"Imperio."_

* * *

"Ferret, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were getting cold feet." Draco huffed and rolled his eyes at the infuriating red-head.

"Yes, Weasel, I dragged you all the way here to get your opinion on a wedding gift for Harry and I'm getting cold feet." Ron cringed inside at the biting tone his best mate's fiancé was using. He honestly was just trying to tease the other wizard to get the blond to calm down some, but clearly Draco was wound a little too tight to take a joke. Ron let them walk together in tense silence for a couple of minutes before he had to speak again.

"Why did you bring me and not 'Mione any way? She knows Muggle London way better than I do." He was trying to stamp down his gawking but the Muggle world still fascinated him. Ron couldn't help but think of all the things his dad would lose his mind to see.

"She's discussing color schemes and flowers with Harry, your mother and my mother. If I brought any of my friends they'd be as clueless as I am. My godfather and father are out of the question, so that unfortunately leaves you." Ron rolled his eyes at the Slytherin's dramatics. However, he thought to himself to calm his irritation, wedding gifts between those who've courted were kind of a big deal. There had been stories passed down to Purebloods of wedding gifts destroying the entire relationship. Ron still couldn't wrap his mind around how something lie a gift could ruin what was apparently a perfectly loving relationship before then but he's been told he has the emotional range of a teaspoon.

"Fine, but that still doesn't explain why we are in _Muggle London_. You couldn't find anything in Diagon Alley?" Ron narrowed his eyes at Draco as the blond remained suspiciously quiet. He hissed when they turned the corner and he saw St. Mungo's and it finally clicked.

"Are you bloody mental?! And you snakes always said that lions are the ones who act without thinking!" Draco scowled and dragged Ron to a cafe with outdoor seating. He picked up a menu and pretended to read it.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I'm just thirsty." Ron didn't even both trying to play along and not cause a scene.

"Oh please! You think you can act as bait for the nut that's after Harry!" Draco finally gave up his pretense and set down the menu but not without heavily rolling his eyes.

"I am _not_ trying to be bait for anyone. While that _is_ something that Harry would do- oh don't give me that look!" Draco scowled at the red-head. "You know Harry would act as bait for a psychopath if it meant saving the people he loved. Don't try to deny it." Ron scowled back at the blond when he realized he couldn't deny it.

Draco seemed to deflate a little and try a different tactic beyond defensive irritation. He leaned forward on his forearms and tried to convince Ron of his idea.

"I thought it over hundreds of times in my head. If this was just David, it would probably be easier to catch him because he seems rather…off balance, let's say. However, everything about what's been happening is surprisingly organized. It takes time and skill and patience. To tear a precise, small hole in wards as strong as St. Mungo's wards without setting off any alarms, even using a dark spell, would take a lot of time and energy. Whoever did that wouldn't be able to get far before collapsing from magical exhaustion." Ron looked skeptical but he didn't interrupt the Slytherin. "Then when Harry went out to lunch with Hermione and those pictures were taken without them noticing, it had to have been a wizard."

"Malfoy, Muggles have really impressive technology nowadays. They can take pictures from far away without being noticed." Draco huffed annoyed.

"But the pictures were _magical_ pictures. They moved, meaning they had to have been taken with a wizarding camera. As opposed to the Muggle cameras, _which I have seen thank you_ , those things are bulky and hard to hide. That means either the wizard again expended a _lot_ of energy on a slew of invisibility and silencing charms _or_ the wizard lives somewhere that they could take the picture without having to leave their home." Draco pointed to a row of apartments right across the street from the cafe. He hadn't chosen their seats at random. It was the same place Hermione and Harry had been sitting when those pictures had been taken.

Ron raised his brows and side-eyed Draco while obviously checking out the apartment building.

"You think the wizard who's helping Harry's stalker lives in an apartment in Muggle London?" Draco nodded. "You know, aside from the rather insane leaps you've made, you're still crazy. What are you going to do? Just waltz into the apartment building and knock on every door and ask them if their an evil wizard hiding from the Ministry and trying to kidnap your fiancé?" If Draco had tea he would have poured it over Ron's head at that point.

"Do you honestly think I am _that_ stupid?" Ron's raised brows clearly said 'YES' in big bold letters. "Well I'm not! I came out here a couple of hours ago and laid a Trip-Wire spell on the door of the apartment building. If a wizard passes through those doors I'll be notified immediately. I figure he has to come out at some point, but I also knew I shouldn't come alone, so here you are." Ron did not look impressed.

"You knew no one else would let you do this, especially Harry or your godfather or your parents, so you thought you'd bring _me_ along." Draco shrugged and nodded. Ron rolled his eyes and grumbled about idiotic Slytherins and how Harry was going to kill them both. After a minute or two of more muttered cursing Ron finally caved. "Fine. But I'm only staying because I know that you would just sneak back out and do this again on your own, and Harry would kill me if I left you here by yourself to get someone _else_ to drag you back."

Draco got a smug look on his face. He finally signaled a waitress to come over and they ordered some drinks for their impromptu stakeout.

To be honest it was rather boring. They sat there for an hour and nothing happened. They watched people go in and out of the building multiple times but the Trip-Wire spell never went off. When it was reaching the two hour mark, Draco was about to suggest they pack it in before anyone (read: Harry) got worried about them being gone too long.

Suddenly, the spell trigged when Draco wasn't looking and the blond was off like a shot. Ron stumbled behind him trying to keep up with the determined Slytherin. Draco had his wand at the ready (in his sleeve though so Muggle's wouldn't notice) when he reached the sidewalk in front of the building. The spell told him that the wizard had _exited_ the building rather than entered so he looked about wildly. No one stood out though and he cursed himself. What good was knowing when someone entered or left when he didn't know what they looked like.

A loud series of angry horns went off on the road and Draco looked to see Ron pissing off drivers and trying not to get hit crossing the street. Before he could turn around he felt something poke him in the back.

"Smart little Slytherin isn't too smart. Why don't you come with me, Draco? I've rather been wanting to talk to you."

* * *

 **I'm hoping to finish this story up soon, only a few more** **chapters to go. I don't feel like I can comfortably drag this out much longer, so prepare yourself!**

 **Please review ;)**


	21. Chapter 21

Imprudence: Chapter 21

 **Took me forever to get this chapter out but I've done it! Enjoy! :)**

 **Warnings: Angst**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Brash Slytherins and Thoughtful Gryffindors**

Draco and Ron had left a while ago to do some shopping or something and Harry was dying for them to come back and save him. Harry was doing his best to not groan out loud. He was also trying to keep his glancing-at-the-floo-in-hope actions to a minimum.

Unfortunately he was failing miserably at both. The young wizard startled from his pouting when Hermione laid a comforting hand over his own. She gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I know this is rather overwhelming and you could probably care less, but it makes them happy." She tilted her head towards Narcissa and Molly who were gleefully flipping through magazine after magazine of flower arrangements and center pieces for the reception. Harry sighed and couldn't help but smile fondly.

"I know…trust me it's the only reason I'm not eloping with Draco. That and Draco would be disappointed if we didn't have a fancy wedding." Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Harry, I don't know if you've noticed but you've got Draco wrapped around your little finger. If you said you wanted to get married in the nude on the steps of Gringotts he'd bite his tongue, smile and strip down." Harry barked out a laugh at the very thought, though his cheeks pinked ever so slightly at the thought of Draco naked. With all of the propriety and traditions surrounding Courtship he and Draco had never gotten farther than chaste kissing.

Needless to say he was more than ready for…well _more_.

"Harry Dear, what do you think of this arrangement? I think it would look lovely as garlands strung along the aisle." Harry bit his tongue and tried to look eager as he was shown what had to have been the fiftieth flower arrangement that morning. He couldn't wait till the wedding was over so he could spend his days off doing something he actually liked.

Just then a package suddenly popped into existence right in front of him. It was a small plain box with an equally plain card sitting on top of it. He glanced up to see all three women with their wands out pointed at the mail. Harry spread his magic over the package to try and sense any danger. He went cold when he sensed a Portkey.

"Someone contact Auror Winthrop," he said in a dead tone as he reached out for the card. Hermione snapped a hold of his wrist before he could touch it though.

"Harry, what are you doing!? It could be cursed!" Harry wrenched his wrist free and shook his head.

"It's not. I checked. There's a Portkey in the box though." His calm was unnerving the witches, including Narcissa who quickly went to contact the auror and Severus. Harry took hold of the card and read the simple two lines:

 _The Portkey will activate in two hours to give me some private time with my new friends. I hope to see you soon!_

Harry threw down the card and ripped open the box. His blood ran cold when he saw what was inside.

As he stared at the Portkey the floo flared to life, and Ron stepped out nearly bowling Narcissa over.

"That psycho took Draco!" The women gasped and Narcissa clutched her chest in absolute fear before turning once more to the floo to contact Lucius. Hermione turned to Harry who just reached into the box and pulled out the Portkey.

It was impossible to mistake it for anything other than what it was: a lock of Draco's distinctive blond hair.

* * *

Draco opened his eyes wondering when he fell asleep. The last thing he remembered was Braghorn forcing him into a dingy alleyway and then apparating them somewhere. The minute his feet felt like they were on solid ground…nothing. He lifted his head to look around and winced as a headache made itself known.

"Ah yes, your head would be hurting something fierce right about now. I apologize. Hitting you like that was rather barbaric and mundane of me, but I really couldn't help myself." Draco looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man, not much older than him, with curly black hair, brown eyes and a pleased smile on his face. A whimper from the corner drew Draco's attention and he glanced over.

The Slytherin was shocked to find a rather handsome young man struggling against rope bindings with a dirty rag shoved in his mouth as a gag. He heard Braghorn scoff and caught a glimpse of the madman's scowl.

"Don't pay any mind to that idiot. He simply would _not_ shut up about his precious little Harry. It was either gag him or kill him and I still have use for the damned fool. Unfortunately." Draco didn't know what to think. A part of him wasn't surprised.

From what Harry told him of David and the whole situation it did seem a bit odd that the boy suddenly turned into a stalker. Also, Draco was not shocked that the Braghorn used his Muggle cousin to his own advantage and saw him as disposable. The Slytherin knew he would not be surprised if he learned that the crazy wizard used Imperio on David as well. The Braghorns were not a family to care for anyone, even each other.

"Are you even paying attention to me, Blondie?" Draco lurched back as suddenly Braghorn was crouched right in front of him. The man smirked. He reached out a hand and fisted some of Draco's hair, yanking the blond's head back viciously. "I must have hit you a little harder than I thought if you can't even pay attention to the important things going on around you. I guess that Potter freak just likes you for your pretty face."

Draco did a very un-Malfoy like thing then: he spit in Braghorn's face. The other wizard froze, his mouth gaping in shock at the Slytherin's audacity. Draco couldn't stand the thought of Harry's name coming from the psycho's vile mouth. Then, Braghorn proved just how much of a psycho he was…he started laughing. Draco's eyes narrowed in confusion, waiting for the flip to switch again.

Without warning a hand flew and slapped Draco hard across the face. The impact was hard enough to whip his head to the side and leave him seeing stars for a few moments. Draco blinked again and again trying to clear his vision and scramble his mind back together after the jarring sting of pain. Braghorn lashed out again, this time gripping Draco's chin in a crushing grasp. The psychotic wizard dragged his face forward until they were nose to nose.

"Didn't your father teach you that it's rude to spit on people, Draco?" Draco knew his mouth was going to get him killed but he couldn't stop himself.

"He taught me to treat people according to their worth," he taunted through gritted teeth. Braghorn tilted his head as he continued to stare at Draco. After a few moments he huffed in apparent amusement and released Draco's chin.

"Well…I'll be able to fact-check that with him soon. He should be here any minute now." Draco's eyes widened in shock. This seemed to amuse Nathaniel immensely. "Oh yes I sent him a little message and a Portkey that activates in," Braghorn checked his watch. "A minute actually." Draco couldn't believe this man. His father wouldn't be so stupid as to willingly Portkey to their location.

Draco was proven wrong in the next moment as Lucius Malfoy suddenly popped into view. The Malfoy patriarch had his wand drawn and pointed at Braghorn's back a moment later. The psychotic wizard didn't seemed concerned at all. In fact, the man causally checked his watch again, frowning.

"Huh…my watch is running a little slow. Well, no matter. Lord Malfoy, a pleasure to have you." Lucius narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the man's nonchalance and sent a non-verbal hex at him. However, the moment the curse hit Braghorn, _Draco_ was the one who cried out in pain. Lucius's eyes widened in horror.

"What have you done?" Nathaniel smirked and stood.

"It's something of my own creation. I call it the Rebound Curse. If you use any magic on me, I don't get hurt. Draco does. I did warn you to play nice in my letter, Mr. Malfoy. Now, lower your wand." With great reluctance, Lucius did as bid. Braghorn huffed in triumph. "Very good. Now... _Crucio._ "

* * *

Everyone around Harry was yelling and running around causing a scene of significant chaos. Meanwhile, the young Healer-in-Training sat quietly staring at the lock of Draco's hair that he held in his hand. Naturally when he suggested he use the Portkey everyone immediately shut it down. He then received a ten-minute lecture from Hermione and his father on not running off into danger and how he had people who could help him and…well Harry tuned them out after the first minute. They also had the issue that scans of the Portkey showed that the magical transporter was set to carry only one person.

This led to a number of debates over who was best to take the Portkey.

"Sir, he's only got one hostage. Let me take the Portkey. I'll show up, stun the wizard responsible and get our victim." Harry was really starting to hate this one witch's voice. She was on Auror Winthrop's backup team and was clearly more concerned about impressing her supervisor than getting his fiancé back safe and sound. The only thing saving her from Harry's wand was that Auror Winthrop was _not_ impressed and kept shutting her down.

"Auror Daily, I won't tell you again. That is not an option." Something clicked in Harry's head as he replayed Auror Daily's words again and looked around at the sea of faces in the room.

"He doesn't just have one hostage," Harry finally said. It was the first thing he'd said in over an hour and everyone stopped, the room going quiet.

"What are you talking about, Mate?" Ron and everyone else watched as Harry rushed over to an Auror sorting evidence and snatched back the letter he received with the package. The Auror was about to protest when Harry poked the letter in discovery.

"Yes! Here! He said 'to give me some private time with my new _friends_.'" Severus cursed and Narcissa wiped another tear from her cheek.

"Damn. Well who else could he have?" Harry's eyes flicked to Narcissa and he realized he was correct. Harry surprised everyone by muttering some impressive profanity.

"When I went to speak with Lucius about the Braghorns I _told him_ that I worried he would be a target. There is little doubt in my mind that Braghorn sent Lucius a very similar package and letter to the one he sent me. However, the Portkey Lucius got was probably set to activate a lot sooner than mine. Braghorn would want time to play with them before I arrived." Narcissa couldn't contain her outcry of anguish at the thought of her husband and her son in the hands of a madman. Molly Weasley did her best to comfort the other mother.

Harry winced as he realized how insensitive he was being at the moment.

"Alright. So there is a very good chance that this wizard has _two_ hostages and his Muggle cousin present. That still doesn't solve our problem of who should go." Auror Winthrop scowled and paced some more.

"I'm telling you I'm our best option. He's expecting me to arrive! If anyone else shows up Draco and Lucius could be killed instantly." Harry was getting really fed up with all of the standing around. Before Harry's father could protest once more, Auror Daily scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Or they could already be dead. Let someone else do the saving for once, Mr. Potter-Snape. I know life must be dreary since you had your time to shine, but there are other people who would like a moment as well." Everyone was stunned at the witch's audacity and Hermione actually lifted her wand to hex the woman when Auror Winthrop's voice commanded all attention.

"Auror Daily, that was entirely uncalled for and unprofessional. Clearly your promotion to my team was premature. You will surrender your badge to me and go on immediate suspension. You can see yourself out," he spoke in a dangerously quiet tone. The witch was close to tears but no one was sympathetic. She laid her badge in Auror Winthrop's outstretched hand and left without a word.

Harry ran his thumb over the clump of Draco's hair that he still clutched.

"That's not why I'm doing this," he said quietly. Auror Winthrop sighed.

"I know, Harry. No one believes that you are." He was quiet for a few moments. "Unfortunately, I'm starting to think you are right." Harry perked up and Severus immediately tried to shut it down.

"You cannot be serious. We can't let Harry take that Portkey to who knows where and straight into the arms of a madman. We can…I have Polyjuice potion. Someone else can go as him." A different Auror cautiously stepped forward.

"Uh…Sir? The Portkey is also set to recognize only Mr. Potter-Snape's magical signature. We were finally able to decipher that bit of confusing spell work from earlier." Ron was the one to curse this time, however Harry started to press his advantage.

"You can put a Tracking Spell on me and a small object that can be traced in case he has dampeners on the place. I can also use one of the new products George invented. It's a device that can…well…I keep one of them on me and you keep the other. They'll allow you to hear everything that I say and those around me say, so you can keep track of everything as it's happening." Harry turned pleading eyes to his father.

"Please! I have to do this!" Severus didn't speak right away and he looked over at Auror Winthrop, only to see agreement in the man's eyes. With a feeling of extreme apprehension, Snape bowed his head in defeat.

"Alright."

* * *

 **We're getting so SOO close to the final showdown (and finals at school! yikes!) ! Prepare yourself!**

 **Please review ;)**


	22. Chapter 22

Imprudence: Chapter 22

 **Here it is another chapter! Also, prepare yourselves...I'm going to update again and give the last chapter today! I just got into a groove the other week and wrote a whole bunch and ended up finishing the story. I hope you enjoy this second to last chapter!**

 **Warnings: Angst**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Love Me**

Lucius panted with exertion and his muscles twitched uncontrollably. He managed to turn his head to gaze at his son once more before the torture curse was cast again. His voice had given out a while ago and he feared his mind would soon begin to fray. Finally, the pain stopped.

Nathaniel Braghorn let out a slow breath, a single drop of sweat trailing down from his temple, and smiled.

"I'd love to continue but," he glanced at his watch. "We should be having a guest in a few minutes and I must prepare." He magically bound Lucius and propped him up against the wall next to Draco. The Malfoy Lord couldn't maintain his upright position and soon slumped against his son's shoulder. Draco leaned his head against his father's and let out a shaky breath into Lucius's hair.

"I'm sorry," Draco whispered. Lucius weakly shook his head.

"This is not your fault, Son. It's _his_ ," Lucius rasped as best he could while glaring at Braghorn who was currently untying his Muggle cousin. Draco joined his father in glaring at their captor, knowing it wouldn't do them any good.

They watched as David cowered back from his cousin's touch. The Muggle looked like a frightened animal, but then they heard Braghorn mention Harry and David perked right up. The Muggle acted like an eager puppy, quivering in excitement. David then looked at them and obviously asked Nathaniel a question.

" _No!_ " They heard Nathaniel shout and David whimpered and threw his arms up to protect his head from an expected blow. The Braghorn wrapped a hand around David's throat and spat what appeared to be threats into David's face. The Muggle nodded as best he could and quickly became docile once more. Once Nathaniel was satisfied that his cousin would follow instructions he patted the man's cheek and then returned to the two Malfoys.

"Alright, so, rules. You will not interrupt me when I'm speaking. You may make your cries of outrage and anguish at the appropriate moments but _not_ when I am talking. You will not speak to David. He's easily distractible and if he gets off course our little guest could get hurt again. Last time he got distracted and didn't follow the rules your favorite little Gryffindor got a knife to the gut. I'd like to avoid that this time. Finally," Braghorn squatted in front of them and his face became stone cold. "Keep your eyes open at all times. I want you to watch _every…single…moment_. You see, I'm going to break your hearts. If you don't pay attention I will kill our guest and trust me, you won't like that. Do we understand each other?" Both Malfoys nodded, each having a pretty good idea of who their 'guest' was going to be.

Draco felt a tear crawl down his cheek despite his best efforts.

* * *

Harry took a deep breath and smoothed his hands down the front of his jumper one last time. He refused the armored robes the Aurors tried to give him as he felt like he couldn't breath in all of that fabric. He did let his father and Hermione layer his regular clothing in protective charms, however. Looking at the clock he only had five more minutes before the Portkey activated.

"When I bring them home I am going to yell at them so much. I'm going to tell them off for acting like stupid Gryffindors who run off without thinking. _I'm_ supposed to be the one who acts without thinking, not them. I'm not supposed to be the one thinking things through and taking my time to plan my actions, Draco is. I…" Harry paused as his throat tightened. "I am going to make Draco sleep on the couch for the first full week of our marriage. No, wait, I'll make him sleep on the couch the second week. I'm going to want to hold him for an entire week before banishing him," he rambled in an attempt to stave off a breakdown. Severus finally came up to his son and laid his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"You will get the chance to do all of that, Harry. I know you will succeed in bringing both Lucius and Draco home." Snape didn't bother making false promises that everything would be okay. They knew there was more than a good chance that Braghorn had spent the last hour and a half torturing both Malfoy men.

Narcissa came up then, finally feeling a little bit more in control of herself. She held Harry's face in her hands and kissed his forehead. When she pulled back she had tears brimming in her eyes.

"You bring our men home, Harry. You make the man who did this pay and you come back here so you can have the best damn wedding of the century." Harry smiled shakily at his future mother-in-law.

"Yes, Ma'am." Hermione and Ron were next and they gathered Harry into a group hug. No words of support or encouragement or comfort were exchanged. They had long since learned that such platitudes felt too much like goodbyes. The Trio finally broke apart when Auror Winthrop cleared his throat.

"The Portkey is going to activate in a minute, Harry. It's time." Harry nodded stoically and walked over to the large clump of Aurors. Harry was handed Draco's lock of hair once more and held on. He closed his eyes, hearing everyone shuffling around him and their heavy breathing. The Healer-in-Training counted down the seconds in his head. When he reached five he pictured Draco, brought the lock of hair up to his mouth and kissed it.

The next moment he was gone.

Harry locked his knees and for once was able to stay upright. The air was much cooler in this new room than it was back at his father's quarters in Hogwarts.

"Harry?" The wizard in question finally opened his eyes when he heard the unexpected voice. He found himself face to face with David. The Muggle looked worse for wear and kept glancing over to the side as if waiting for something.

"David…where are Draco and Lucius?" David's left eye twitched but he smiled and cocked his head to the side.

"Who? Whatever it is, it doesn't matter, Harry. You're here now and that's what matters." David stepped forward and took Harry's hands into his own. "I knew you'd come. I knew you'd see that we were meant for each other." Harry's brows pulled together and he tried to look around for the Braghorn wizard behind all of this. David startled Harry by grabbing the Gryffindor's chin and forcing Harry to look at him.

"David, what-" The words caught in Harry's throat as he saw a flash out of the corner of his eye and was struck by a spell in the back so hard it broke through all of the protection spells his father and friend cast on him. He cried out and his knees buckled; David caught him. David lowered them to the ground until Harry was laying back in David's lap and staring up at the handsome Muggle.

Harry didn't know how to explain it but…he knew he was staring at the love of his life. A smile slowly spread across his face. He lifted a hand to trace David's cheekbone.

"David…oh, David…" David was smiling but Harry could tell something was bothering the other boy. Harry's brows furrowed. "David, what is it?" Tears formed in David's eyes and fell onto Harry's cheek when he blinked. "Whatever it is, we can get through it together. I love you, David." Somehow Harry's words made it worse and David choked on a sob and bent low over Harry, stroking the Gryffindor's face, mimicking Harry's earlier actions.

The Gryffindor did the only thing he could think to do. He pushed himself up on shaky arms and got onto his knees, mirroring David. Harry cupped David's face in his hands and, after wiping the tears away, pressed his lips to David's. His forehead wrinkled in confusion as David didn't kiss back right away, however, before Harry could pull away to ask what was wrong, David finally relaxed into the kiss.

The two boys were so wrapped up in their kiss that quickly deepened, that they didn't react to lights coming up in the other half of the room to reveal three men. One man was standing and smirking at the scene while the other two were chained up on the ground, watching in horror. When the kissing got extra heavy and looked to be heading towards clothing being removed, Braghorn began clapping. David and Harry jumped apart.

"Brilliant. Really, quite a show. I know _I_ enjoyed that. Draco? Lucius? Opinions?" Harry clung to David.

"David, what's going on? Who-who are they?" Draco couldn't contain a cry of anguish. David opened and closed his mouth a couple of times.

"Harry…I'm sorry." Before Harry could ask what for, Nathaniel interrupted.

"Now what would you be sorry for, David? You were just having an intimate moment with the man you loved. We interrupted, and _we're_ sorry about that, aren't we gentlemen?" Draco yanked at his chains and growled at Nathaniel.

"You are sick!" Lucius's expression clearly said that he thought the same. Nathaniel crouched in front of the younger Malfoy and leaned in as if sharing a secret.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. You know, I heard that the great Harry Potter was impervious to the Imperius curse so I created a little something of my own. I'm rather good at that, aren't I? It's like a love potion. It makes the victim believe that the first person they see is the love of their life." Nathaniel leaned closer. "And only _I_ can break the spell." Nathaniel heard desperate whispering coming from the other side of the room and finally pulled back from Draco with a frown.

David seemed to be trying to convince Harry of something. Harry was vehemently shaking his head and kept cupping David's face. David leaned into the touch and closed his eyes for just a moment, savoring the feel of Harry's hands on him, before shaking his head and pulling away.

"David, please, I don't understand. Why are you doing this?" Nathaniel stood and narrowed his eyes at his cousin.

"David? What is going on? Why have you made Harry so upset?" David seemed to steel himself before speaking to his magical cousin.

"I…this is wrong. I…I don't love Harry…not like this. And I know he'll never love me. Please, stop this. It's just…too much. Too cruel." Nathaniel sighed and rolled his eyes. His Imperio must have worn off again. David's mind was closer to swiss cheese at this point from all of the curses and like a junkie it took more applications of the spell to make the effects last as long as Nathaniel wanted.

Nathaniel raised his wand to cast another Imperio when another thought suddenly struck him. After a moment's pause to consider the new idea, he smiled.

"Draco, how would it feel to watch you fiancé mourn another man," he called over his shoulder. The next second he spat out the killing curse, and David fell dead to the ground. Harry cried out in horror and clutched at David's body. The Gryffindor let out heart wrenching sobs as he begged for David to come back and not be dead. Draco's heart couldn't bear to watch.

The Malfoys were terrified as Nathaniel Braghorn walked forward and crouched beside Harry. They had no idea what the psycho was going to do next.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. Really there was nothing for it. It had to be done." Harry flinched away from the man's touch and clutched David's body to his chest.

"Don't you touch me! Murderer!" Nathaniel sighed and shook his head as if talking to a particularly unruly child.

"Really? Name calling is so plebeian. Wouldn't you rather fight me and avenge your dear love David?" Harry paused and looked between Nathaniel and the two Malfoy men. The Gryffindor glared at Nathaniel and gently set David's body down.

"Actually, I would." Nathaniel smirked and gave an evil laugh.

"Harry, don't! Please, he'll kill you!" Draco screamed despite the earlier warning from Nathaniel. Harry's eyes glanced over at Draco and the blond thought he saw something there, before the Gryffindor turned his attention back to Braghorn. Nathaniel looked so satisfied, excited that he goaded Harry Potter into a fight that would cause Draco Malfoy pain.

Lucius watched, terrified, as Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at Braghorn. The psychotic wizard was clearly enjoying the whole thing and had no fear, knowing that any spell cast at him would hurt Draco instead. He tensed as Harry opened his mouth and cast his first spell.

Everyone was shocked when _Nathaniel_ was the one to cry out in pain. The Braghorn looked at the blood blooming at his side in sheer surprise.

"What? Don't want to fight me now that you can actually get hurt?" Nathaniel's head whipped up and he stared at Harry with his mouth open. His shock quickly turned to anger and he screamed in rage. Nathaniel Braghorn slashed and stabbed with his wand and Harry was quickly enveloped in a fight to the death.

"How?!" Harry scowled at the psycho across from him as he cast non-verbal spells left and right, doing all he could to avoid hitting the Malfoys.

"You kidnapped and tortured my fiancé and father-in-law! That's a pretty strong motivator!" Draco noticed before anyone else, but Harry's wild magic was joining the fray and was quickly taking over. He could feel the magical pressure building. Draco opened his mouth to cry out a warning when the room exploded.

* * *

 **I originally thought about David having a slightly bigger role and finally fighting back, but...didn't really happen that way. :/ Oh well.**

 **Please review ;)**


	23. Chapter 23

Imprudence: Chapter 23

 **Final chapter! Hurray! This was a great ride and I appreciate everyone who stuck with it. Please enjoy the final chapter of Imprudence.**

 **And to the reviewer who asked for story recommendations: Perception is Everything by Kendra James on is brilliant. I just finished re-reading it for the 3rd time. In Care Of by Fang's Fawn is also very good. I also love Emancipated Minor and Failure to Thrive (and its sequel) by cre8tvdeb. These are all in my favorite stories list on my profile if you want to check them out. They are all Snape-mentors-Harry fics.**

 **Warnings: Angst**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and don't make any money off of it. I wouldn't need so many scholarships if I did.**

 **Disconnection and Reconciliation**

Draco groaned in pain. His body felt like one giant bruise and his throat itched. He coughed and cringed as the movement caused his body more pain.

"..aco?! Draco! Lucius! Draco!" A familiar voice calling his name brought him back to the present and Draco tried to focus.

"Over there," cried a voice Draco didn't recognize, and suddenly he felt a heavy weight lifting off of him.

"Dear Merlin! Draco! Lucius!" He was really starting to get tired of people calling his name. "Open your eyes!" The familiar voice was back and he felt a strong need to listen to whoever it belonged to. With some effort Draco managed to wrench his eyes open a little. He was so relieved to see his godfather that he nearly started crying.

"U-uncle Sev?" The Potion's Master let out a shaky breath, dropped his head for a moment, before looking his godson in the eyes and giving the boy an almost smile.

"I'm so glad…I feared the worst. Hold still, Draco. Your father covered your body with his own when the explosion occurred." Everything came crashing back into Draco's mind and he immediately started to panic. He looked down and noticed that the heavy weight that had been pressing on him was his unconscious father who was bleeding from his temple. "Harry's magic managed to put a shield around you both but the building more or less collapsed around you. Harry was knocked aside by a beam and the shield around you shattered."

"H-Harry? Is he…?" Draco coughed as his throat tightened with tears which irritated it more. There was dust and debris floating about in the air and making breathing a bit difficult. As the young man looked around to try and spot his fiancé he finally noticed all of the Aurors crawling all over the place.

"Harry is…fine…for the most part. He's helping clear through the rubble to find David's body as well as the Braghorn man. Let's focus on you right now." Draco wanted to press, wanted to know why his fiancé was searching for dead men instead of helping him. However, he was too exhausted.

"I'm all right. Just really sore, probably bruised. Braghorn hit me over the head when he apparated me here but that was the worst of it. He…he Crucio'd Father for so long." Draco couldn't help the tears that spilled over as his father's screams echoed in his head. Severus waved his wand, releasing Draco from his bindings and clearing the rest of the debris covering him.

"You," Severus called to the nearest Auror. "Lucius Malfoy needs to be taken to St. Mungo's immediately. He's suffered prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus Curse and a blow to the temple." Thankfully the Auror didn't argue or misunderstand the severity of the situation and acted upon Snape's orders immediately. Draco whimpered in fear as he watched his father be taken away from him. "He will be alright, Draco. You both will. Now, hold still while I run a diagnostic spell." Draco didn't move and felt his godfather's magic wash over his body. The scan showed what he had expected: moderate concussion and bruising from the explosion. As soon as the spell was finished Severus reached forward and pulled Draco into his arms.

Draco clung to his godfather without complaint and let himself accept the rare comfort. After a few seconds he felt Severus release a shaky breath and then they parted. Snape stood and held out a hand for Draco to take. The young man stumbled a bit when he got to his feet but his godfather helped him stay standing.

"I…I've got a body over here!" The cry immediately caught Draco's attention. His fiancé was standing over a mostly cleared pile of rubble looking down at something. Draco could just make out a tuft of blond hair and knew it had to be David's body. Aurors hurried over to where Harry was standing and the Healer-in-Training backed up to give them room to work. Harry finally turned around and laid eyes on Draco for the first time since the explosion.

The Gryffindor almost doubled over in relief, tears in his eyes, but, to Draco's shock and hurt, he didn't come over to them. Instead he gave them a tight smile and then quickly turned and walked away.

"Harry!" Severus looped his arms around Draco to stop his godson from running after Harry. He understood the situation and knew that it would be best if Draco healed up and Harry got his head on straight before the two young men spoke.

"Draco, I know you don't like it, but just…give him time. He's not doing this to hurt you. Now, come on. Hold on to me and keep your eyes shut. I'm going to apparate us to St. Mungo's." Draco didn't want to go. He wanted to talk to his fiancé; he wanted to hold him and shake him and demand an explanation. However, his strength was fading fast and he knew he wouldn't be able to do any of those things. Besides, a look at his godfather told him the man was upset but not concerned meaning it wasn't something terrible. It felt terrible though.

Without a word of protest, he followed Snape's instructions and soon found himself swaying dizzily on the front steps of the Wizard Hospital. He clung to Severus's arm as he was led into the building and was swept up into the hands of a nurse and eventually a Healer.

He was quiet through the examination and took all the potions thrust at him without complaint. In fact, he didn't say a word the entire time.

He didn't say anything even when thirty minutes later the door to his room burst open and his mother flung herself around him.

"Oh Draco! My dear boy! I'm so glad you are alright!" Draco buried his face in his mother's neck and wet her skin with his own tears of relief. For some time he had feared he would never see her again. Eventually, Narcissa pulled back and wiped the tears from her cheeks, trying to compose herself back into her Malfoy persona. "They are treating your Father well. The Healers here have high hopes he will fully recover. He is resting now, but I can take you to see him." Draco nodded, his throat tight with emotion. He followed his mother down the hall and to another room.

A quiet whine escaped his throat when he saw his father laid out on the hospital bed.

"I can assure you your father will be quite alright, young man. He just needs to rest for now. He should be back on his feet tomorrow morning." Draco looked up and was happy to see that Healer Jason was the one speaking to him. Draco nodded shakily.

"Thank you," he finally croaked out and the Healer nodded and left the room. His mother guided him to a chair by Lucius's side and sat him down.

"It will all be well, My Dragon. It will all be well." Draco nodded on the outside but despaired on the inside.

 _Will it really,_ he thought. _Will it really be alright if Harry won't even talk to me?_

* * *

The next morning Lucius was up and feeling well as promised. Draco and Narcissa fussed over him in their typical subdued manner until the Malfoy Patriarch rolled his eyes and shooed them off. At a sign from her husband, Narcissa suddenly declared that she would go fetch them some tea from the hospital cafeteria and left father and son alone.

"Dragon, what is wrong?" Draco hadn't heard his father call him that in a long time and it warmed his chest.

"I…Harry hasn't spoken to me…since it happened. Uncle Sev found us and…and Harry looked at me and then _walked away_." Lucius frowned at his son's distress but also in confusion.

"I'm sure there is a reason, Draco." Draco huffed and dropped his head in his hands.

"That's what Uncle Sev assured me of but I still…it _hurts_." Lucius nodded and patted his son on the head.

"I understand, Son. Why don't you go try and speak to him now? You've both had some time to process everything. Maybe he'll be more willing to explain his actions." Draco was clearly torn between wanting to stay with his father and wanting to go to his fiancé, so Lucius forced his hand. "I would much rather you straighten things out with your fiancé than stay here with me dreading whatever is wrong. Go, Draco." The young Slytherin eventually nodded and stood. With a quick hug and goodbye he left to take one of the floo's in the lobby of the hospital.

When he stepped through into Snape and Harry's living quarters it was oddly quiet. No one was in the living area. Cocking his head to the side, he heard the faint sound of the shower running. When he heard Shane meowing he went to go investigate.

Draco's brow furrowed when he saw Harry's cat sitting outside the bathroom door, meowing and scratching at the wood. Draco went to the door and after a moment's hesitation, knocked.

"Harry? Are you alright in there?" The water shut off abruptly and he heard someone get out of the shower.

"I- uh, j-just a minute!" Draco didn't like how… _off_ Harry sounded and was about to go into the bathroom to check on his fiancé, but moments later the door opened. Harry's eyes were red, showing he'd clearly been crying, but what troubled Draco more was that the skin he could see looked rubbed raw.

"Oh! Draco, I thought…what are you doing here?" Draco was taken aback and a little irritated that Harry would ask such a thing.

"I wanted to speak with my fiancé, maybe figure out why he is avoiding me." Harry crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

"I'm not avoiding you." Draco rolled his eyes, his hurt slowly turning to anger.

"Right, and the fact that you haven't spoken to me at all since the whole ordeal and searched for dead men instead of your living fiancé after an explosion isn't avoiding me." Harry flinched at Draco's hard tone and the Slytherin felt a little bad. After a few moments of quiet Harry's shoulders dropped and he seemed to curl in on himself.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Let's…we should talk." Harry skirted past Draco and walked into the living room. He took one end of the couch and Draco took the other. Harry's body language clearly said he did not want Draco sitting near him. Draco let Harry gather his thoughts, and didn't prod him to speak. Finally,  
"I…I'm so sorry, Draco. I couldn't…after what I did I couldn't look at you." Draco was shocked and confused.

"What you did? What are you talking about?" Harry closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his legs, pulling them to his chest.

"I…I remember everything that happened after Braghorn shot that curse at me. I remember _everything_ about…about kissing David and thinking about how much I loved him and wanted to… _do things_." Harry shuddered in revulsion and Draco finally understood. Before he could offer Harry comfort though, the Gryffindor continued. "I felt so disgusting! I felt like I betrayed you and I needed to scrub his touch away." After viciously rubbing his eyes, Harry finally looked Draco in the eye. "The spell wore off about thirty seconds after he killed David, but I knew I couldn't let him know that. _Merlin_ , his aura…it was like tar dripping off of him. It made me sick. But what made it worse was that I could see the tie he made to you. My magic lashed out, I was so angry. It severed whatever spell he had cast on you and then…I just couldn't contain myself anymore." Harry's voice wobbled near the end. His hands drifted up and his fingers tangled in his hair and pulled. "I'm _so sorry,_ Draco. I don't…I…"

Harry completely broke down after that, and Draco knew that this was his chance. He slid across the couch and gently coaxed Harry into his arms. The Gryffindor put up some protest, but now that Draco understood he wasn't hurt by it. His heart broke at the thought that his fiancé believed that Draco would be disgusted with him for being placed under a curse. Yes it had hurt to see Harry enthusiastically kissing David and seemingly loving the Muggle, but it hurt worse knowing that Harry had been forced to make out with a man who had hurt him. It had been like watching the love of his life be raped right before his eyes.

"Shhhh, Love. There's nothing to be sorry for. You did nothing wrong. Shhhh…" Draco rubbed a hand up and down Harry's back. Eventually Harry calmed down and got quiet. Finally, he huffed and rubbed his eyes with the back of a hand.

"What am I doing? You and Lucius were the ones kidnapped and tortured. I should be comforting you." Draco shook his head though Harry wasn't looking and hugged his fiancé tighter.

"Just being able to hold you is comfort enough," Draco said, then pressed a kiss into Harry's hair. Neither man noticed that Severus was standing in the doorway.

He had been very worried about Harry the previous night. The minute they had arrived home his son hurried into the shower. The Potion's Master had had to drag him out of the bathroom, and then had to heal abrasions on the boy's skin. Harry had rubbed his skin raw trying to get David's touch off of him. Himself, Narcissa, Molly, Harry's friends and the Aurors had all heard what had happened. The women had cried out in dismay while the men all looked distinctly green. Snape easily figured out what had been bothering Harry when they had finally been able to arrive on scene. He hadn't fallen asleep until a few hours ago, because he was up worrying that his son would try and harm himself again.

Needless to say, Snape was relieved beyond measure to see his son curled up with his fiancé. He let them have a few more moments of quiet before stepping into the room. They would make it. They would be alright.

 **Four Months Later**

"I think I'm going to be sick." Severus huffed in amusement as his son repeated the same phrase he'd been saying for the past hour. Harry paced back and forth in the sitting room, unable to sit still.

"Why do _I_ have to be walked down the aisle again?" Snape indulged his son's questions easily. Harry actually hadn't been visibly nervous until they arrived at Malfoy manor. The Potion's Master stood and laid his hands on Harry's shoulders.

"When two wizards get married, traditionally the younger of the pair gets walked down the aisle. Draco offered to switch places with you if you recall." Harry did recall. He had been a little offended when Draco casually mentioned that Harry would be walked down the aisle by Severus. The Gryffindor's face had scrunched up and he insisted that he wasn't the bride in this relationship, in fact neither of them were. Draco explained the tradition to him but then offered to be walked down the aisle instead if it made Harry that uncomfortable. Harry's heart had nearly burst from love for his fiancé being so considerate and he kissed the Slytherin passionately before saying that it was fine.

"Hey, Mate. It's time." Harry and Severus turned to see Ron smiling at them from the doorway. Harry took a deep breath and nodded. Holding his head high he left the sitting room and went to the doors that would lead out into the back gardens while Ron went to take his place as Harry's best man. Hermione was waiting for them, beaming and holding Shane in her arms.

"Oh, Harry, you look amazing!" Harry gave her a shaky smile.

"Thanks, 'Mione. You look beautiful." When his cat meowed, Harry chuckled and scratched under the sassy thing's chin. "You look handsome too, Shane." The cat meowed in such a way as to sound rather chuffed and the three of them laughed. Then they heard music playing and Hermione turned towards the doors.

Harry had once seen a wedding on the telly. His Aunt had a thing for soap operas. In the wedding they had a dog deliver the rings to the altar and Harry absolutely loved the idea. Draco had been happy to fulfill Harry's dream and so Shane would go before all of them down the aisle and a spelled on the carpet would turn his paw prints into petals.

Hermione opened the door a crack and let Shane loose. The feline proceeded to slowly trot down the aisle, enjoying the attention he received, and then finished his little production by rubbing all over Draco's ankles before turning and jumping into Narcissa's lap. Hermione followed soon after, walking down the aisle and stopping next to Ron, taking her place as Harry's second best mate. Finally, it was Harry's turn. Before they stepped out though, Severus kissed Harry's forehead.

"I love you so much, Harry. James and Lily are smiling down at you right now. Sirius is no doubt wolf whistling." Harry chuckled and hugged his dad tight before turning and taking the man's arm.

They stepped out into the garden and Harry's eyes went straight to Draco. The Slytherin was absolutely beaming and Harry couldn't keep the smile off of his own face. His nerves flew away and he knew he was ready. He would get to spend the rest of his life with the man he loved. Harry couldn't wait.

 **The End**

* * *

 **And there's the end! Always bittersweet. I'm still nowhere near done with Fickle Fate so if you like my Harry Potter stories check that out. :) Also, Merry Early Christmas!**

 **Please review ;)**


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